Rot in Paradise
by JokerCarnage5
Summary: Kid Rot has a new plan so sinister it will spell the end for the Grossologists. Can Chester, the tormented boy under Kid Rot's controll help save his friends? Can Abby, the only girl to ever care about him learn to love him and will Ty & Naomi admit their feelings for one another. Rated M for sex & violence. Slight AU. Previously titled 'Kid Rot's Master Plan'.
1. Setting the Stage

**Chapter 1: Setting the Stage **

Chester sat down on a hillside in the middle of ringworm forest. He felt more relaxed than he had been in months cause this was indeed the first time in months that he was free. He took a long breath of the calm night air. It felt great. It was the end of March and the climate was chilly but just warm enough for the polyester dressed boy to enjoy it. A white moth came flying towards him. It flew in midair right in front of his face. At this point in his life Chester welcomed the sight of any living creature. Slowly, as to not scare the insect he reached out his hand. The moth landed between his thumb and his wrist, seemingly pleased with the new surface he landed on. Chester's eyes suddenly became red and his skin turned obsidian. The moth became limped and fell lifeless to the ground. A new conscience had taken over Chester's body and it rose up from the ground like a newly awakened zombie.

Chester found himself sitting in a vast empty dark space with a window to the outside world hovering above. Chester was inside his own mind. His body was once again controlled by the nefarious parasite Kid Rot.

"No, no, no!" He shouted while punching the floor that was just as black as the rest of the room.

"Did you enjoy your break, little Chester." A growling dark voice humored from behind the shadows. Kid Rot's conscience stepped into the small light of the room. He had the same body form as Chester but he was taller and with Kid Rot's skin color.

"Why do you keep doing this?" Chester meekly asked.

"Why? For hope of course." Kid Rot replied snakely and with a sadistic smile. He started circling his host's shivering soul. "A mind can't survive without hope. Letting you out of the box every once in a while keeps your tortured mind from fading. If you faded away who would I have to torment?" He stopped in his tracks and his eyes grew wide. "The Grossologists, yes. Hehehe."

The mentioning of Abby and Ty made Chester stand up and angrily stare at the parasite. "Leave Ty and Abby alone. What have they ever done to you?"

Kid Rot's body stiffen and he rashly turned around at Chester. "They tried to DESTROY ME!" He jumped at Chester and punched him in the face. The teen tumbled to the floor. Kid Rot loomed over him. He stepped on Chester's face and twisted his foot as to burrow it into his sensitive skin. "They tried to separate us Chester. I am many things but forgiving is not one of them." He saw a single tear pour out of Chester's eye just underneath his shoe. He reluctantly stepped of the quivering boy. Kid Rot loved torturing the boy but he knew that if he overdid it Chester's conscience would die or get amnesia. He wanted him to fade away slowly like a rotting tree. "All is in place for my magnum opus. I will soon destroy Ty and Abby will be mine." He proclaimed.

Chester curled up in a fetal position. "Why? She hates you, she wants nothing to do with you." He pleaded.

Kid Rot got a sadistic glint in his eyes. He leaned in to his hosts face. "Hates me, don't you mean hates us." Chester turned his face away from Kid Rot's. The parasite stroked the boy's hair inconvincible reassuringly. "You know I only wants to protect you baby."

Chester shacked his head with closed eyes. "No, no. I never believed that. It's only a lie. All you want is to destroy my life and the life of everyone."

Kid Rot smirked and rose up. "You still have a verse to play little Chester but don't worry. Soon it will be over…for all of you." Kid Rot stepped back into the shadows, all out sight for Chester. "Poor little useless Chester. No friends, no family, all alone in the rot." The tormentor's voice echoed thru Chester's mind.

Back in the real world. Kid Rot walked into a cave in the middle of the forest. The faint moonlight allowed him to see the outlines of the granite cave's stalagmites. He could hear the scurrying footsteps of cockroaches and centipedes as well as something bigger slowly moving in the cave but outside his sight and he couldn't really pick up from where the sound came from.

"I know you're here. There's no reason to hide." Kid Rot boldly shouted. He smirked a bit. "You know, I did meet one of your children outside. His exoskeleton tasted delicious after I rot it."

Insectiva suddenly jumped down from the ceiling. Her sharp teethes and long claws barred. She punched him in his right cheek before kicking him in the stomach, sending him to wall. She was enraged over losing one of her "children" to this parasite.

Kid Rot leaned against the cave wall while getting up. "Okay, I deserved that." He chuckled.

Insectiva rose from her crouching position. Her spine made small "pop" sounds as her vertebra linked in position. Her crimson eyes studied the boy. "I don't like you Kid, not one bit…but if your plan works it will be beneficial for the both of us."

"Agreed. Do you have the goods?"

Insectiva took out an injection needle with a lucent liquid from behind her back. "Here, the hybrid has been genetically produced after your wishes." She hissed and handed him the needle.

Kid Rot took out a plastic strap from his pocket. He wrapped it around his upper arm and used his teethes to pull it so it would tighten. He jabbed the needle into his swollen arm and injected himself with the liquid. "You know, the idea to combine the DNA from different prokaryotes was mine but the brainwork to have it come into fruition was all yours." He stated.

Insectiva was unmoved by Kid Rot's attempt at flattering. She hated him. He was nothing but a needlessly sadistic maniac. Nothing would give her more pleasure than to rip his throat and leave his body to her hungry children but the benefits of their collaboration would out weight her discomforts. "I still trust you to keep up your end of the bargain." She spat.

"Of course. Once I destroyed the grossologists I will rot Ringworm to the ground, turning it into a giant compost heap. The perfect breeding ground for your creepy crawlies." Kid Rot smirked viscously.

"It surprises me you haven't asked me to help you contain the grossologists." Insectiva cocked an eyebrow. "Is there something you haven't told me?"

"Nothing you need to know, besides with my new powers there's nothing they can do to stop me." He replied while walking out of the cave. "See yah."

* * *

A few hours later…

Kid Rot leaned against a tree while overlooking Valentine Resort. It was a romantic hotel by a nearby lake and fairly far away from town. It had wine-red walls and a white ceiling. _The perfect place for a romantic getaway wouldn't you agree Chester. _He thought to himself and made his way down from the forest hill.

He walked thru the entrance. The lobby looked like any other resort lobby to Kid Rot, not that it would matter in a couple of minutes anyway. He walked up to the reception. The receptionist was a middle aged man in a tuxedo with a beard. His eye scanned the teen. Kid Rot's stench and strange skin color disturbed him but he tried to appear casual.

"Evening, can I help you with anything?" The receptionist asked.

Kid Rot gave him a toothy smirk, already picking up on his nervousness. "I like to rent."

The receptionist nodded. "Okay, how many rooms and at what date?"

"All rooms. Tonight until I don't need them." Kid Rot's entire facial expression radiated sadism.

"I, I'm sorry that can't be done. We are fully booked until next year." The receptionist stammered.

Kid Rot pouted. He glanced down at the cahier. "What about this date?" He suggested and put down a finger on the open page.

The receptionist leaned down to look. "Which one?" Kid Rot suddenly grabbed the man's head and pressed it against the table. The receptionist screamed in pain as his skin, flesh and bones started decomposing from Kid Rot's venomous touch. Kid Rot held him down until there was nothing left but black bones. He then walked up to a beam in the middle of the room. He placed a palm on the beam and smirked as the rot spread thru it and infected the rest of the building. The walls turned an unhealthy color and planks and debrief fell from the ceiling.

A couple in their thirties came down the stairs. "What is happening?" The man asked. Kid Rot turned to them and silently took in their fearful expressions at his sight. He fired a blast from his hand which hit the man that turned black and crumbled to the ground like a wet paper-bag. The woman screamed in horror. _Music to my ears_ Kid Rot thought before firing another blast, hitting her in the chest. She fell to the ground and started spiting and spasm until the rot reached her heart.

The maniac walked up to the bodies. He heard footsteps upstairs. Knowing the remaining guests was probably already alarmed he went into business. The hotel was soon filled with the screams and rumble of dying costumers. Once done with his gruesome doing he returned to the lobby.

He stretched out his arms in the middle of the chaos, like a rock-star greeting his audience from stage. "All is ready! The stage is set, I am jacked up and the audience is waiting. The only thing missing is my date. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**This is the first in what I hope will be a long-going story. One major diffrence between this story and the original series is that Ty &amp; Abby are between 17-18 years old, which is why they are attending Ringworm High (as appose to Junior High in the show). I think this will give the story a unique element to it. **

**The first couple of chapters will be very horror related but the later ones will definitely be more romance related. I have every intension to make this the ultimate Abbster fanfic. Like most of my stories I don't know when I will update this. **

**Your reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	2. Mouse Trap with Noble Cheese

**Chapter 2: Mouse Trap with Noble Cheese **

Abby Archer walked thru her school's main entrance door early in the morning, carrying a stack of pamphlets in her arms.

Even thou the spring term had just started all of her classmates seemed more eager of leaving school than starting it and not in the usual Friday afternoon way. This was their last term in Ringworm High before leaving forever and thou Abby didn't feel the same idleness as her classmates she certainly felt strange to be leaving a place she spent most of her time in the last three years. Looking back on it she regretted that the best friend she had found here was her younger brother. Not that she was lonely but between being a Grossologist and all her other responsibilities she had little time over for friends but she didn't complain, she enjoyed the various projects she got involved with.

Her newest project was to advertise a midnight showing at the planthouse of a very special flower that only bloomed during the night. The planthouse was a cost-free establishment that was open to the public. Her mom &amp; her friends usually did volunteer work there so she hoped she could make as many people as possible to come. Abby walked up to a billboard in the corridor and nailed one of the pamphlets to it before heading for her locker.

She saw her younger brother Ty by his locker next to hers. She opened her locker and laid in her pamphlets before looking for her textbook. "So Ty, I wondered if you could help me put up some flyers for the planthouse after school?" To Abby's annoyance she did not get any response from him. He seemed to stare of in the opposite direction. "Ty?" Abby leaned back a bit to see what exactly Ty was looking at. It was Naomi. The shy blond was talking to some other girls by her locker further down the corridor. Abby rolled her eyes before giving her brother a shake in the shoulder. "Ty!"

"Huh. Oh, sorry Abby. I was just um…" Ty reacted embarrassed.

"You were staring at Naomi again." Abby cooed.

"Well, it only happens when she talks to me or touch me or is in my field of vision." Ty blabbered.

Abby returned to look for her text book. "You have been crushing on that poor girl for over a year now. Isn't it time for you to do something?"

"After a year can one even call it a crush?" Ty asked playfully.

"Hmm, no I guess it's more of an obsession." Abby sarcastically retorted.

Ty was clearly offended by his sisters teasing. He was about to say something when their Grossometers started ringing. They simultaneously took their Grossometers out of their pockets and flipped them into communication mood.

LabRat appeared on the screens with Hermes sitting on his shoulder.

"LabRat, what is it?" Abby asked alarmed.

"Something really bad. You guys better come down to the gaglab prompto." LabRat sounded a lot more serious than his usual laid back smooth self which put the Archer siblings on edge.

* * *

Only a few minutes later Abby and Ty reached the gaglab now in their respective slimesuits and googles. "Where here LabRat, what is it?" Abby asked concerned.

"It's the park." LabRat replied and pushed a button on his keyboard. A series of computer screens showed footage of the local park. "Every plant and topsoil in the place has been rotting ever since this morning. The methane gas it produces is so abundant that the entire park has been forced to be evacuated. Thankfully no one's gotten sick." The tech geek explained.

"Anyone else thinking what I am thinking?" Ty asked.

"Yah, Kid Rot." Abby hissed angrily.

A cold chill went thru the group as everybody remembered their first encounter with Chester, the boy that would be Kid Rot. Abby saw it mostly as a tragedy, that one victim that she &amp; Ty couldn't save. For Ty it was cautionary tale. They had trusted Chester, tried to help him yet he had turned on them. For LabRat it was just another reminder of how thankless their job could be.

"If it is him again I think he is still in the park." LabRat exclaimed and opened up another screen which showed a map over the methane spreading. "According to the satellite scanners the methane gas is still thickening and if that gas gets into town we will have a serious health problem."

"Okay so how do we get to him without getting gassed ourselves?" Abby asked.

"Already taking care of that." LabRat proclaimed confidently. He clicked another button and a pair of black slimesuits with inbuilt gasmasks was lowered down from the ceiling. "I've designed these myself. The gasmasks will help you breath in the toxic environment and they are made of non-organic material so that Kid Rot won't rot them."

"LabRat, you rule!" Ty enthusiastically complimented and put on his new slimesuit.

LabRat smiled smugly while inspecting his knuckles. "I know."

Abby pulled up her zipper. "Alright let's move."

"Hold on." Ty cried out. "Maybe you should sit this one out." He suggested meekly.

Abby couldn't believe her ears. "What!"

"Kid Rot is always targeting you Abby, it's an obsession for him so I think it would be safer if you stayed here." Ty explained.

Abby got aggravated over the suggestion but she could see it in his face that Ty was just worried about her. "Ty, Kid Rot is too dangerous for either one of us to handle alone besides if he beats you and I am no were to be found he will tear the entire city apart to find me." She said in a sympathetic manner. "Come on. We must hurry." Abby ran out of the lab.

"Huh, okay." Ty sighed. "But I don't have to like it."

* * *

Ty and Abby arrived at the park. To their dismay they discovered it was completely ruined. The trees where black and dead, the topography was completely changed and the air was thick of noxious fumes. With an exchange of determined looks they entered the park. Their feats sunk into the gray and snot green mush that used to be solid ground. It was like walking thru pudding.

"Why would Kid do this? There's no rhyme or reason to destroy the park." Abby stated.

"He is insane Abby. He doesn't need to have a reason." Ty replied.

He was growing increasingly timorsome. Out of all of their enemies Kid Rot was one of the most fearsome. Insectiva and Fartor had their own plans that usually had nothing to do with them and all him &amp; Abby needed to do was to foil them but Kid Rot's plans always revolved around them. He always wanted to turn Abby to the dark side, making her into a monster just like him. Ty was nothing but a nuisance to be disposed of whenever the psychopath felt like it. Ty preferred the second alternative. He would rather be a rotting corpse than seeing his sister lose her mind to Kid Rot. Kid Rot used to be a good person too until that parasite possessed him. Ty regretted acting so aggressive when it happened but what else could he do, one can't blame a dog for having rabbis but you still don't let it run free.

"Is everything alright Ty?" Abby asked since she was getting nervous about the silence.

"I was just thinking, do you think there's still a chance to get Chester back to normal?" He asked curious and worried.

Abby turned to give Ty a cold harsh glance. "Chester is gone Ty. Only Kid Rot remains." There was no hint of the sorrow or regret she actually felt.

Ty didn't like it. His sister was usually such a compassionate person but whenever it mattered Kid Rot it was like her heart turned to flint. He looked around. His eyes searching for any clue to where Kid Rot was.

"Maybe he isn't here anymore. Maybe this decomposing continues on its own." He hypothesized.

"We can't know that until we searched the entire park." Abby stated.

"We don't have enough oxygen for that." Ty argued.

As if on a que tree about 300 meters away started rotting, it's leafs fell of and its bark turned black. Ty and Abby ran towards it. It stood in a pretty densely forested area of the park. They looked around but there was no trace of Kid Rot. Suddenly a blood freezing laughter echoed thru the woods, it seemed to come from all directions at once.

"Well, well my favorite playthings are here. Abby and her baby brother." Abby &amp; Ty recognized the voiced. They turned around and saw Kid Rot sitting on a boulder. A smug smile covered his face.

They both draw their goopshooters at him. "Stay down Kid!" Abby ordered.

Kid Rot pretended to think it over a second. "Hmm, no! I am here to escort you to the show of your lives. I'm calling it The End of the Grossologists." He exclaimed.

"End of the…what are you up to Kid Rot?" Ty asked puzzled.

"You'll see in due time but first…" Kid Rot held up his index finger before pointing it at the boulder he was currently sitting on. "Have you noticed the moss growing in the cracks of this rock?"

Abby took notice to said moss in the cracks. "Yah, so?"

Kid Rot's sadistic smile widen and he pressed his palm against the boulder. The moss started rotting &amp; swelling and the cracks widen until the boulder exploded. An avalanche of rocks rapidly headed towards the Grossologists. Ty managed to pull his sister out of danger in the last minute. When they looked around Kid Rot was nowhere to be found. "Where did he go?" Ty asked.

Kid Rot materialized from the ground behind Abby. He kicked her hard in the back. She fell to the ground and Kid continued by elbowing Ty in the face, making him hobble backwards. Abby was on her feats again. She directed a straight kick at Kid Rot's torso but he sidestepped it only to be hit in the chest by Abby's fist. She must have put all her might into that blow cause Kid Rot stumbled backwards, clutching his chest in agony. He scowled at the two Grossologists. He didn't want to hurt them yet, just get their attention.

He disappeared into the ground again. Ty saw a black streak move under the moldy soil before it disappeared out of sight. Only a few seconds later a tree in the distance cracked in two. Abby &amp; Ty didn't hesitant but started running towards it. They found a smirking Kid Rot holding a hands against the tree. Once he was the Archers he disappeared into the ground again only to reappear by another tree a few meters away. He laid his hand on it and the trunk seem to shrink as it rotted. He disappeared into the ground again and streaked away.

"Follow that dark streak." Ty shouted. The two ran after Kid Rot as fast as they could.

"Follow, follow, follow the yellow brick road." Kid Rot sang to himself.

Abby &amp; Ty followed Kid Rot to a clearing where he seemed to have disappeared. They looked nervously around the ground. Kid Rot appeared behind them with a grin that bared all his teethes.

He yanked Abby's ponytail so hard it threaten to rip her scalp of and tossed her to the ground before kicking her brother as hard as he could, making Ty fly several meters away. He had successfully separate the siblings just like he planned.

He walked up to Abby lying on the ground. "Now, how about a little kiss."

Abby turned to face him. "I couldn't agree more." She punched him as hard as she could in the face. He trembled back in pain with his hand over the sore area. Abby got on her feet and tried to punch Kid Rot again but the maniac grabbed her fist and hit her in the ribs. Abby grid her teethes in pain.

Kid Rot noticed that her uniform didn't mold as he expected. His mind started formulate a new plan to take his victim down.

Abby spun a kick towards him but he managed to dodge it. She swung another fist at him which hit but he stood his ground. Kid grabbed one of the tubes on Abby's gasmask and pulled it off.

Abby breath involuntarily in the surrounding fumes. Her lungs felt like they were on fire and she started coughing violently. Kid Rot kicked her in the stomach and all air went out of her before she fell to the ground.

Kid Rot moved in on her when a blast of goop hit the ground between the two. He turned to see Ty with his goopshooter directed at him. "Step away from my sister you peace of shit!" Ty ordered the enemy.

Kid Rot chuckled sinister. "Good shot, let's see if mine is better." He aimed two fingers at Ty like a gun and Ty aimed his goopshooter at Kid.

They fired at the same time. Ty's goop hit Kid in the chest but it made no damage. Kid's rot-blast on the other hand went right into the barrel of Ty's goopshooter. All the slime inside the blaster rotted and it clogged up the barrel. Ty looked with dread at his ruined weapon.

Kid Rot's sadistic smile widen. "Now, let's see here. You have no weapon, no partner while I have your sister, my superpowers and the only thing that stands between me and unimaginable glory…is you." He sighed the last part as if he was unimpressed with the competition.

Ty was unmoved by Kid Rot's insults but what got to him was his sister lying defenseless on the ground less than a feet away from an obsessed psychopath. While Ty wasn't as honed in martial arts like Abby he was far from defenseless but he had literary no idea what to do now.

With no better options Ty started pleading to what he hoped was Kid Rot's rational half. "Chester please, don't hurt my sister. I know where both rational people, were scientists. I know we can come to an agreement." Ty said even thou he had no idea if there even was a Chester left to talk too.

From inside his head Chester heard someone speak his name. He stood up from where he had been sitting. "I'm here." He shouted.

The parasite's mind appeared beside him. "Hosts shall listen but never speak."

"I am Kid Rot!" An angry Kid Rot roared at Ty. He walked to Abby and held his hand over her open mask, ready to rot her face off.

Ty panicked and ran towards his enemy, ready to use his goopshooter as a maul if necessary. This was exactly what Kid Rot had hoped for.

He fired a united rot-blast from his hands at the ground in front of Ty and a massive hole opened up. To late to react Ty fell down the trap. Kid Rot then fired another set of blasts at the sides of the hole and the surrounding soil fell in, covering the pit with Ty in it.

"Ty!" Abby cried out in horror. She started crawling on her knees towards the pit. It hurt to breath and even worse to move. Kid Rot looked in amusement at the weak girl practically dragging herself to her buried brother.

Abby reached the dirt where she had seen her brother fall down earlier and started desperately digging with her fingers. Her eyes were watering and her lip was vibrating out of fear and sorrow.

Kid Rot smirked. "I could save him you know. All you need to do is to join me on the dark side." He reached out a hand for her to take.

Abby swatted his hand away. "SHUT UP! You would never help anyone but yourself. You are a monster. I HATE YOU!" She shouted with long streams of tears running down her cheeks.

Inside Kid Rot's head a small blond boy clutched his chest.

The sadist pouted a bit but his evil grin soon returned. "Well, if you won't be my queen than Ty will be my jester." He disappeared into the ground to Abby's confusion.

The hole opened up again as the soil rotted away. Abby could see Kid Rot dragging an unconscious Ty into a small tunnel.

Abby gasped in terror and skidded down the pit. She crawled after them into the narrow tunnel. Kid Rot saw her coming and shot a blast at the cave ceiling and the earth came tumbling down. The last thing Abby saw was Kid Rot's maniacal grin. "No! No." She cried.

She stumbled backwards and fell on her back in the pit. She couldn't even see the sky because of all the swamp gases. She took up her grossometer and called LabRat. "LabRat." She mumbled with not enough energy to speak up.

"Abby! Abby what happened?" LabRat was shocked to see one of his closest friends in such a poor shape.

"Kid Rot took Ty. He just dragged him off." She cried. "My mask is broken, please send the GRS-1 to come get me."

She turned off her grossometer. She didn't want to hear any more worried questions from her friend. She didn't know it was out of despair or the toxic fumes that she cried so much. After she know not how long the flying green vehicle hovered over her. It lowered down a ladder for her. She grabbed it and was hoisted up to the GRS-1. She clumsily staggered to the pilot seat.

"Auto-pilot. Take me to the Gaglab." She sighed. The GRS-1 darted out of the toxic wasteland that used to be Ringworm Park.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**As you can tell I am having a little bit too much fun writing Kid Rot right now. What can I say, I am a sucker for mad supervillains. Chapter three should be coming soon. **

**I would appreciate it if all of you wrote me a review/comment. It helps me out a lot. **


	3. Search & Decay

**Chapter 3: Search &amp; Decay**

LabRat nervously clutched his hands as in a prayer while waiting for the GRS-1 to land on the ramp at the Grossology HQ. The all-terrain hovercraft lowered its self down on the landing platform. The backdoor opened, revealing very sickly Abby. LabRat hurried to her. She leaned against him as he led her to lab.

"Ar-are you alright?" He asked.

Abby mumbled in response but it was incomprehensible to LabRat. She sat down in a chair while LabRat dragged an oxygen tank with an inhaling mask over to her. The white rat Hermes overlooked the situation from the desk. Even he seemed worried.

"Here, take a sniff of this and you would feel better." He instructed and handed her the mask.

Abby took a few deep breaths from the oxygen tank. It was tasteless and odorless but to Abby it felt better than a twelve-course Italian dinner. Her sore lungs felt renewed and she could finally breathe normal.

"What happened?" LabRat alarmingly asked.

"He was waiting for us, it was an ambush." Abby breath heavily. "He dragged Ty underground, I couldn't follow". He had never heard her this depressed. She stood up from the chair. Her fists clenched and her brow tighten.

"I'm going back out to get him." She stated determined.

"Wow, not a good idea. You couldn't beat him the first time and now you don't have Ty to back you up, besides he could be anywhere by now." LabRat argued.

Abby sighed in defeat. "So what shall we do?"

"Let me do some research okay. In the meanwhile you should give yourself time to recover." The tech geek exclaimed and turned to his computer.

"My brother is in the hands of a homicidal maniac and you ask me to do nothing!" Abby shouted infuriated.

LabRat looked at her with a sympathetic expression. "It will only take a few minutes okay. Trust me I want Ty home safe jut as much as you do." He reassured her. He turned back to his computer and Abby sat back in the chair.

She took a few more intakes of the oxygen. She felt so miserable. Her imagination ran wild with what that sadistic parasite was doing with her brother.

_Don't worry Ty, I'll come for you._

"I think I got something." LabRat enthusiastically exclaimed. Abby walked over to him. "Do you know of a place called Valentine Resort?"

"Yah, it's a romantic hotel outside of town. My dad took my mom there once." Abby shrugged.

"Nobody has heard from that place in days. All attempts at contact has failed and the local forest guard has reported an unusual amount of decay in the area. I bet my ridiculous minimum wage that is where Kid Rot is hiding." LabRat explained.

Abby &amp; LabRat suddenly heard a slow clapping behind them. The same idea went thru their minds but…it couldn't be. They both turned around and with a dreadful shock they saw Kid Rot standing in the lab. He had his usual sinister smirk.

"Congratulation plague rat. I was going to take you there but you managed to figure out the location to my hang out anyway." Kid Rot cooed. His presence scared Hermes into running away.

Kid Rot had been to the gaglab before when they tried to help Chester but since then they had rebuild all the entrances to the place. "But how, how did you get in here." LabRat asked nervously.

Kid Rot crouched down and held out an open hand. Abby could suddenly feel something slimy moving thru her long hair. A black slimy blob about the size of a vole popped out from between the hair and fell down to the floor. It slithered over to Kid Rot and was absorbed into his hand.

"Being a superorganism does have its perks sometimes." Kid Rot exclaimed. He looked around the room. "I like what you've been doing with the place plague rat, it's very quaint."

"The game is over Kid! Bring back Ty and turn yourself in." Abby angrily ordered.

"And it's LabRat." LabRat quipped.

"Oh, really? Than why are you such a pain in my ass?" Kid Rot stomped his left foot and rot quickly spread thru the lab. LabRat stared in horror as his beloved lab become covered in mold. Kid Rot jumped LabRat, grabbing him by his shirt and the two fell over the computer desk.

LabRat's shirt started slowly rotting as he looked up at his assailant. "Trapped like a rat in his own nest." Kid Rot hissed.

Abby kicked him in the jaw, a streak of blood left his mouth as he stepped back. The grossologist vented in anger as she stared him down. Kid Rot simple smirked and spitted out a tooth. He motioned his hand at Abby to come and get him.

Frustrated, Abby jumped at him. She kicked out with her leg which he managed to avoid only for her to hit him in the face with her palm before hitting him again with a fist.

"I love it when you hurt me." He giggled. Abby launched out again but this time he managed to grab her wrist and bended it behind her back. "It arouses me quite frankly." He whispered to her.

Abby was disgusted over his statement and dug her heal into his shin. He cried out in pain as he stepped away from her.

"Okay, no more fun &amp; games." He growled. He dug into his jack pocket and pulled out a small technological sphere. He tossed it to the floor and green gas started gushing out of small openings. "Kid Rot entering the 21st century baby." He manically exclaimed.

"A gas bomb." LabRat exclaimed as the green gas filled the room. Abby and LabRat started coughing and fell motionless to the floor.

"Methane gas by my own design." Kid Rot retorted.

Abby's vision become blurry. She saw Kid Rot walking up to her. He crouched down and started pretending comforting her by rubbing her shoulder. "Don't worry Abby, this is not the end of you." He said. The last thing Abby saw before everything turned black was his evil grin. She heard him whisper "This is only the beginning…"


	4. The Festering Heart

**Chapter 4: The Festering Heart **

Kid Rot sat on a kitchen board in the Valentine Resort's kitchen. His legs dangled of the edge and a satisfied smirk graced his face. All three grossologists where locked down in the basement. LabRat was handcuffed to a pipe in the boiling room, Ty was tied up in the vine cellar and Abby was chained in the storage room. He opened a drawer underneath him. His eyes immediately gazed at a knife. He picked it up. Its handle was made of the same metal as the blade. He pressed it against his palm and clenched his fist. Once he felt the blade puncture the skin he pulled the knife thru his hand. He opened up his hand and stared at the nice straight cut in the palm. Red blood streamed down his arm. Beautiful.

He gasped and let Chester retake control of the body. The blond boy was not as pleased over the injury. He clenched his hand, trying to stop the bloodflow and inhaled thru shut teethes.

"Why did you do that for?" Chester complained.

He could hear Kid Rot answer him from within his mind. "First, cause it's funny. Second, to prove a point. I am not merely going to rot your friends Chester, I am gonna hurt them where it feels. Their feelings, their comradery, their…"

"They're not my friends." Chester interrupted, half chocking on his words.

"But you wish they were." Kid Rot whisper. "You long for their compassion, their acceptance, maybe even…their love." The parasite's voice bared the venom of truth.

Chester wrapped his arms around himself, a poor substitute for a hug. Kid Rot had tormented him for over two year now, mind &amp; body alike but worst of all was to see all the destruction he caused using Chester's body. How many life's and places had been ruined because of him?

Chester looked up at the roof. "Please, I give you anything just don't hurt anymore people."

The following laughter was so laud and enthusiastic that Chester feared it would hurt his ear bone. "You have nothing to offer me Chester because everything you are belongs to me."

His body flinched and Kid Rot took over again. "My queen should be awakening by now."

* * *

Abby tiresomely opened her eyes. She immediately sore in her arms. Her wrists was respectively chained up to a pipe in the ceiling. Her feats where about 10 cm of the ground and tied up with a plastic rope.

The door opened and Kid Rot stepped in. Abby tried to pull in her chains but she quickly realized it was completely pointless.

"Good morning honey." He said sweetly like a newly married husband.

"Get it thru your head already! I don't like you so stop trying." The longhaired girl aggressively spat.

Kid Rot rolled his eyes and made a grimace. "I guess since you won't be alive for so much longer there's no need for me to pretend anymore." He exclaimed and walked up close to her. He took out the knife he used before out of his pocket. He caressed Abby's cheek with it, scaring her into be absolutely still. "I have never loved you. How could I? You are so ugly but he, he likes you." He vented and pointed the blade at his temple.

"Who?" Abby asked puzzled.

"Chester of course. He is very infatuated by you. I don't know if its true love or just a casual crush but what matters is that he can't have you. A host like him needs to know that I own everything that he is including his heart." The maniac explained while seemingly going thru a blender of emotions.

Abby was speechless. Her captor calmed down and leaned in close to her. "This has nothing to do with love this has all to do with power." He pressed the knife against her stomach. Abby shut her eyes, believing she would get stabbed any second now. Kid Rot pulled in her collar, stretching out her suit and cut it from navel to cleavage before colliding his lips with hers. Abby tried to squirm out of it but Kid Rot held her still, pressing her body against his. The redhead tried to close her lips but he was so forceful and passionate that he pried them open. Abby's teethes where shut close as to not allow his tongue into her mouth but that didn't stop him from licking her teethes and gum. She wanted to scream for her parent, for Ty, for anyone that could help her out of this but with Kid Rot being able to kill with a single touch there was nothing she could do.

Inside Kid Rot's head Chester was shivering on his knees as a pair of tears made their way down his cheeks. He wanted to help Abby. He wanted to take control but he knew that the parasite was to strong. All he could do was watch as Abby had to endure the veil act being carried out by Chester's own body.

Kid Rot slowly lifted his lips off Abby's. He smirked sadistically at her. "How was that? Was it as romantic as you always thought?" He sarcastically asked.

Abby looked up at him with tear-filled eyes and a disgusted scowl but she was determined not to let him see her cry, this left her silent thou.

Kid Rot got cocky and decided to pour some salt in the girl's wound. "I hope you liked it because I won't be as gentle with your brother."

His words hit her like a brick and she erupted in anger. He body twisted and turned in as many directions she could. Her knee finally collided with Kid Rot's stomach. He gasped and stumbled backwards before falling to the floor.

Chester took over the body again and dozily sat up.

"Abby." He mumbled once he looked at the chained up girl.

She raised a confused eyebrow. She didn't really get what was happening but then she recognized the submissive voice and the pale skin. "Chester?"

The blond boy nodded softly.

"Have, have you been alive all this time?" Abby asked, still in disbelief.

Chester shamefully looked to the ground. "Y-yes, I was fully aware of what he-I did but I couldn't control it." He said heavy heartedly. He pressed his hand against the wall as he rose to his feats. "I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry." He still looked to the ground. He was sure she was looking at him with loathing eyes.

To the contrary Abby allowed herself to smile for a second. Despite everything she was grateful that the one person she thought she had failed had returned yet this was not the time for celebration.

"Chester, are you in control now?" She asked sternly.

"I don't know. I am only able to take control when Kid Rot lets me or when he falls asleep." Chester answers. He timidly looked at her face and what he saw horrified him. "Abby, your lips they, they are turning black." He gasped.

"What!" She exclaimed. Abby couldn't see how the black mold spread thru her face but she could definitely feel her lips become heavier. Her face felt drier and kind of sore. "O my god, the kiss! It must have started decompose me." The grossologist exclaimed terrified.

Chester started to panic. He saw the chains that held up Abby. "I think I can get those of you." He says and ran towards her with raised arms.

"No!" He stops immediately at her command. "Chester run as far away from here as you can and call for help."

Chester nodded and headed to the door. Abby's plan sounded logical. If he could get his body away from Abby and the others Kid Rot would not be able to hurt them. As he was about to take the first step out of the room he hesitated and looked back at Abby. "Abby. I'm sorry for everything." He said before running up the stairs.

Abby sighed. Her situation had changed. It wasn't just Ty &amp; LabRat she needed to save but Chester as well. Her enemy was no longer just a maniac but a captor with a hostage.

The blond boy ran out of the rotten hovel as fast as he could and into the forest. He suddenly involuntarily stopped. "What?" He saw his hands turning an unhealthy shade of gray right before he blacked out.

When he woke up he was inside his dark mind again. "No, not yet! I haven't gotten far enough." He cried.

Kid Rot stepped up to him. "That was amazing. A first class performance Chester. Who know you had it in you." He swooned before laughing.

Chester looked up at him. "What are you talking about? I didn't do anything."

The parasite grinned and looked playfully at his host.

Chester realized what had just happened and it was all in Kid Rot's Plan. "No, no!"

"Yes!" Kid Rot exclaimed. "Now that Abby knows you are alive in here she will be very reluctant to hurt me. Of course I don't have the same qualms."

Chester wrapped his arms around his knees. Even the sight of him seemed to bring misery into the girl's life.

Kid Rot chuckled. "Sympathy. I don't know why you humans have it. Seem like an inconvenience to me. Well, it is time to pay a doctor visit to a certain Ty Archer."

* * *

Ty had been awake for several hours. He was tied to a balk in the vine cellar. The only light was from a very weak bulb in the ceiling. He did not know how long he had been there. Hours? Days?

He had not seen anyone since he woke up. What was Kid Rot planning to do with him? Maybe he had just left him there to slowly die. _Yeah, that would be a lark. Letting Ty slowly rot away without even touching him._

The door slammed open and Kid Rot stepped in.

_Speak of the devil…_

"Feeling better Ty?" Kid Rot asked in his best sweet voice.

"You buried me alive you creep." Ty spat.

"Well if you don't stop disrespecting me I might burry you in a different state." His captor threaten. He leaned in closer to Ty's face. "You are a science geek aren't you Ty? So tell me, how intelligent are bacteria?"

Ty was rebelliously silent. Kid Rot punched him hard in the stomach. "I asked you a question. How intelligent are bacteria?"

Ty coughed. "They don't have intelligence. They lack both brains and nervous systems."

"Well then, if you get out of this alive you can write a book, "How I was Outsmarted by a Bacteria" by Ty Archer. Hahahahahahahahahahahahah…but I wouldn't bet my money on it." Kid Rot took out a needle from his pocket, prompting Ty to gulp. He stuck it into the side of Ty's neck and injected him with the liquid.

"What was that?" Ty asked alarmingly.

"All in good time little geek." Kid Rot smirked. He could already see how the skin around the puncture wound turned white with small black spots. He walked back to the door and leaned against the frame. He pointed his index finger at the Ty, making the black haired boy flinch. Kid fired a rot-blast that decomposed the ropes.

"Now Ty, you and I are going to have an old fashioned gauntlet." Kid Rot jerked his head at the open door. "Abby is down the next room. If you manage to get thru this door I let the both of you get out of here alive." He instructed.

Ty bit his bottom lip. He knew it was probably a trick but he had no other choice if he wanted to escape. He took a few decisive steps when his legs started to hurt like he had just run an entire marathon. He soon started to feel pain in his entire body and nausea. He tried to ignore it and continued to power thru to the door. Kid Rot didn't even seem to take notice to him. Ty stepped on the threshold when Kid Rot reacted by punching him in the abdomen. He continued by kneeing him in the stomach and tossing him to the stone floor. Ty moaned in pain while Kid Rot laughed loudly and maniacally.

"Aww, you are so funny." Kid Rot grabbed Ty by the ankles and dragged him up the stairs. Once they came to the stairs that led down to the storage room Kid rot grabbed Ty's collar and threw him down the steps. Ty opened the door on impact.

"Ty!" Abby shouted as soon as she saw her brother lying in the door opening.

"Ab-by." Ty mumbled. He tried to move but his muscles protested. He once again moaned in pain.

Kid Rot came into the room and locked the door after him. "Ty is just a little bit sick…a lot." He sat Ty up by the wall. "But I think he can still give us one last lecture. Ty, how does bacteria in a colony communicate? Since they don't have any eyes or ears so how can one tell the other what to do?" Kid Rot asked in a smooth inquiring tone.

Ty knew the answer but it was hard to concentrate. "Pheromones. They produce pheromones that effect the others." He replied hesitantly.

"Exactly." Kid stated. He moved behind Abby and unlocked her chains. The long haired girl fell to the floor with a heavy thud. She ripped of the rope around her legs and scurried to her sick brother.

Kid Rot grinned wickedly. "I have injected Ty with a genetically modified bacteria that wears him down from the inside out. They do it as long as they can feel the pheromones my own bacteria produces. Which mean my dear, heroic Abby that if you want to save your brother you will have to kill me."

His words hit the long haired girl like a bullet. "What?" Abby shouted shockingly.

Kid Rot tossed Abby a steel staff. "You heard me. If you want to save your brother will have to end the life of this body."

"But I, I can't. Then Chester will die too. He is a human being as well." Abby pleaded.

"Don't worry, with you yourself rotting I seriously doubt you will be able to defeat me but if you don't try than both you, your brother, my host, that computer nerd will all die and then ringworm will follow. So pick up your weapon darling, it's time to pay the grim reaper." Kid Rot said and beaconed to the staff.

"I won't kill anyone." She shouted back.

"Than this won't be as much fun." Kid Rot mused and fired a rot-blast at her. Abby managed to roll out of the way in the last second. She grabbed the steel staff and got into fighting position. "Now, there's the Abby I know." He smirked.

Kid launched at Abby but the red head managed to jump out of the way. He went after her again but Abby blacked him with the staff only for him to kick her in the stomach. She managed to keep her balance. She could feel her face becoming harder and drier and she had smaller cramps but for the most part her body worked just fine. She figured he must have infected her with slower working bacteria.

Kid Rot attacked again and Abby defended herself with the staff. He spit a slimy gob in her face, distracting her before he hit her several times over the face and she fell to the floor. "You're cheating, aren't you?" The long haired girl spat.

"What makes you say that?" The parasite cooed. He moved in to finish her of but in a surprise move Abby locked her feats around one of his ankles and tripped him. She rolled to her feats and pressed the staff against his throat.

Kid Rot gasped and let control back to Chester. Not wanting to hurt the boy Abby removed the staff from his throat. With a flinch Kid Rot took back control and kicked Abby away while laughing maniacal. He got up on his feats and slashed at his opponent but Abby sidestepped him and drives her elbow into his ribs. He grunts in pain as he stumble backwards.

Abby got into a new fighting position when she suddenly felt a jolt of pain in her right arm. She yelped in pain and her arm went limp, leaving her to hold the heavy staff with one arm. Realization dawned on her that she would not be able to win this. Her mind sparked an idea, a very dangerous plan with incredible high risks but it was the only way she could think of to save herself, Ty and Chester. She tossed the staff to the floor and went down on her knees. She reached out a hand towards Kid but didn't look at him.

Kid Rot cocked a confused eyebrow at this. "Are you giving up?"

"No, I am striking a deal with you." The long haired girl sighed. "If you promise to heal Ty and leave Chester alone forever I will let you take control of my body instead." She exclaimed heavy heartedly.

Kid Rot dropped his jaw, chocked over her proposal but once he realized what this meant he regained his devilish smirk.

"A-Abby, no." Ty meekly muttered.

"I see…" Kid Rot said and tapped his chin. "If I agree to this you and your brother will be healed, the dweeb gets his freedom and I get you. Everybody wins!" He crouched down next to her to get to her eyelevel. "But you know what you will sacrifice, right? Your freedom and your body." His words tasted like sweet honey in his mouth as they rolled off his tongue.

Abby gulped. She had never done anything like this before. Sure, risking her life on missions was one thing but this was literally taking a bullet. Yet, she had hopes that maybe her mind was strong enough to overpower Kid Rot's. Still, it was more important to her to save her brother and Chester. She nodded.

The parasite rose up with a victorious smirk. "It's a deal!" He grabbed her wrist. A black fume burst out of Kid's mouth and back shoulders all while leaving behind Chester's normal skin color. It slithered down his arm to Abby, getting into her body thru her skin and respiratory system. The two teens fell simultaneously unconscious to the floor.

A few seconds later they awakened. Chester was back in control of his own body. He saw Abby rising to her feats. "Abby, are you okay?" He asked. Her long hair obscured her face.

"Abby Archer is gone. There is only KID ROT!" She turned towards him. Her skin was now darkly gray and her eyes were black &amp; red. Chester gasped in horror. With a smug smile she snapped her fingers and Ty´s skin turned back to its normal color.

He took a deep breath. He looked at his sister. "Abby, are you still there?" He asked worried.

"O she is, somewhere in here." Kid Rot tapped her temple. "But you are addressing the new and approved Kid Rot 2.0." She exclaimed. She grabbed the terrified geek by his shoulders and tossed him towards Chester. She held up a fist and warmed a rot-blast. "It would be so easy to kill the both of you right now." She threaten but turned off the rot-blast. "But what would be the fun with that. Instead I am going to use your sister's body to rot everything and everyone you care about…and then when Ringworm is ashes, then you have my permission to die."

Her words felt like a knife stab to his heart. He had lost her. Chester felt just the same. The parasite had left him yet it haunted him more than ever before.

Kid Rot walked out thru the door and locked it after her.

Ty ran up to the door and started hitting it. "Abby! Abby! Come back, please, fight it. You must fight Kid Rot." He shouted.

Kid Rot ignored her hostess brother's yelping. As she walked up the stairs she couldn't help but enjoy the strength in her new body. Chester had such a fragile body but Abby's was full with well-trained muscles, built for speed and dexterity. When she took another step on the stairs she could feel the muscles in her leg vibrate, actually every movement she made stretched some muscle. It made her feel powerful and Kid Rot looved power. She could also feel Abby's mind trying to fight back to retake the body (just like Chester used too) but it was so tinny, so little of an inconvenience too her that it could just as well be a few dead skin cells irritating her hair bottom.

Kid Rot stepped out of the hotel. She observed the star-spangled night sky before slowly and determined heading towards Ringworm. As she walked the forest around her rotted as if she had cast a giant shadow over it.

One thing was certain, she was going to enjoy her new body…

**Author's Note:**

…**And the bomb just drooped. **

**Okay, so this is more than probably the chapter to break it or make it for most Grossology fans. It is pretty much the HBO version of the show. I also want to make it clear that my interpretation of Kid Rot's motivation is not OCC and it's not definite either. Considering that Kid Rot is bonkers for cocco-puffs insane any reason for his affection to Abby makes just as much sense as any other. **

**All reviews/comments are greatly appreciated. **


	5. Memories of Sin

**Chapter 5: Memories of Sin **

Ty tried to open the door using the knife Kid Rot used against Abby earlier. His body was already covered with red bruises from trying to force the door open. He slid the knife into the chink of the door. If he could get it under the lock maybe he could pick it open. The knife tip went in under the lock and Ty bit his bottom lip. He forced it in a bit more and twisted the knife. To Ty's dismay the blade bended to its apex before shattering into pieces.

He sighed in defeat. "So close." He turned around to look at Chester. The blond boy didn't even seem to notice him, he just sat in a corner looking confused at his hands.

"Um, you're welcome to help any second now." Ty quipped in an annoyed manner.

Chester didn't listen. He looked at his palms in disbelief, occasionally closing his eyes as to hear himself think. He had always been able to feel the parasites presence. Its voice echoing thru his head or feeling as if his thoughts where shrouded in haze but now, nothing. He thought he would feel relieved to finally be rid of the parasite but he just felt…empty. Like something essential was missing from him.

"Hey!" Ty shouted which snapped Chester back to the here and now. "Are you not worried? We need to get out of here and cure Abby."

Chester looked rueful up at him. "How are we supposed to do that?"

"LabRat isolated the Kid Rot bacteria. We get out, go to the gaglab and with LabRat's help we can whip up an anti-dote." Ty explained.

Chester tilted his head to the side to avoid Ty's gaze. "The gaglab is destroyed and it wouldn't work anyway." He cried and clutched his knees. His voice fell to a frighten whisper. "The parasite has changed. He has mutated, gotten stronger and genetically improved by Insectiva."

"Insectiva! How does she figure in into this?" Ty asked.

The blond boy gulped. "I promised her Ringworm once I decomposed it. It will be the breeding ground for her insects. In return she enhanced my powers using bacterial hybrids she created."

Ty's expression hardened to a scowl. "Well, then we simple have to find another way of bringing her back."

Chester looked at the walls around him. Without the parasite inside he felt so vulnerable, weak even and outside these walls there was nothing for him.

_No friends, no family, all alone in the rot._

"There is no other way. She is gone." Chester mumbled sadly with his face gazing the floor.

Ty got infuriated. Chester was to blame for all of their problems and now he dared to cave in to his fears. "I can't believe you. She sacrificed herself for us and you just give up on her. You useless worm. All of this is your fault."

Chester looked up at Ty after hearing that.

Ty's arms arrowed down, his hands clenching into fists until his knuckles became pale. "If you had let us cure you the first time we brought you to the gaglab nothing of this would have happen but you ran off just because you were too scared to live without it." Ty panted in frustration.

Chester pressed his hands against his temples in distress and started shacking. "I know, I know. I didn't mean too, I know I should have stayed but…I couldn't think straight. It was as if I was another person." He cried.

Ty's face shifted from anger to sympathy. He crouched down next to Chester and put a hand on his shoulder. "I know how that is like."

Chester looked curious at him. "You do?"

Ty bit his lip and averted his eyes to the side. He sighed darkly. "Once a criminal by the name of Fartor infected me with a chemical that intensified my negative emotions. It made me go against Abby and everything I ever believed in. I knew, even at the time that what I was doing was wrong but it my mind was in a jumble. Almost as if another person was controlling me."

"How-how did you get out of it?" Chester asked intrigued.

Ty smiled widely. "Abby. She reminded me of who I was and helped me find my way. Now it is time for us to do the same for her."

Chester's face reverted to its gloomy expression. "That won't work with Kid Rot. The parasite does not only take over the brain but also attacks the cerebral cortex. Even if Abby's willpower is strong enough to break the parasite's control she still wouldn't be able to take back her body."

Ty would not let his newfound optimism be squandered by Chester's bad mood. He had found new courage in his past accomplishments. He stood up and put his hand on his hips in a stoic manner. "Well, then she have to rely on us and I know that we can do it. We will get out of this sucky hotel and get Abby back."

"How can you be so sure?" The polyester dressed boy asked.

"Because I want to see my sister home again, I want to eat another one of my mom's dinners and I want to be with my dad when I take my first taste of Champaign. I want to graduate and go on more missions as a Grossologists also…there is this girl I would really like to see again." Ty blushed a bit at the thought of Naomi. He reached out a hand for Chester on the floor and flashed him a smile. "…And I am sure there are things you want to do too."

Chester whipped of the tears with his sleeve. "Well, I would like to get some friends." He said shyly and smiled weakly.

"Well, you already have one in here but I am sure I can scurry some up for you." Chester took Ty's hand and the Grossologist helped him up on his feets. The two looked at each other with newfound friendship and understanding.

"So how do we get out of here?" Chester asked.

"You used to be Kid Rot, you know how he thinks." Ty stated. "Is there anything he might have overlooked?"

Chester put a finger to his chin while contemplating. Kid Rot's plan might have succeeded but it didn't turn out the way he planned. If it had then the Grossologists would be dead right now. Chester looked at his surroundings.

"This is a food-storage room, isn't it?"

Ty hadn't noticed it before but once he looked around he saw that Chester was right. The room was filled with boxes filled with rotten fruits, vegetables and ingredients. "Yeah…" He answered somewhat confused, not really understanding what Chester was getting at.

"Then there should be a lift up to the kitchen." Chester empathized his point by pointing upwards. "And I think I know where it is."

Chester ran to the other end of the room with Ty following. There it was. Next to a large box of onions was an open gap. "Here it is. Think we can get out this way?"

Ty stuck his head in the gap and looked up and down the lift chaff. The bottom was nothing but total darkness and while it was not much brighter upwards there was a glint of light radiating thru another gap.

"Hmm, I don't see a lift or a rope." Ty pointed out. The lift along with the rope had coincidentally decomposed when Kid Rot first arrived here.

"Do you think you can climb it?" Chester asked concerned.

"I'm sure of it." Ty responded confidently.

"Okay, there is a spare chain of keys hanging in the lobby. Get them and then open the door for me and LabRat." Chester exclaimed.

"Alright." Ty gave a thumbs up. "Wait, LabRat is here?" He asked alarmed.

Chester apologetically scratched his neck. "Yah, I captured him and Abby when I sabotaged the gaglab."

Ty sighed heavy. Now he didn't just have to get Abby and Chester out of danger but LabRat as well. He climbed into the chaff. The young grossologist had always been good at climbing.

He gripped the bars as he made his way upwards. He soon discovered that the planks between the bars was rotten soft. He could at some places kick the planks in to make more room for his feets and fingers but it was still a long way up and more than once he almost fell. He eventually made it to the other gap. He wasted no time hauling himself into the kitchen that for some reason smelled even worse than the storage room. He walked out of the kitchen and made his way thru the corridors. He saw a sign that said EXIT and deduced it was the way to the lobby.

He came to the lobby. The skeletons one the floor disgusted even him. The conditions of the bones made it very clear of what had happened here. Ty saw the key chain he was looking for in the key cabinet and picked it off the hook. There was a staircase down the cellar behind the counter. He ran down the stairs until he came to the basement level. There was several staircases to other rooms. He remembered back to when Kid Rot poisoned him and he remembered which staircase he was thrown down in. He ran down said staircase and unlocked the door.

Chester turned around with a smile once he saw Ty. He walked out of the newly open door. "You made it Ty." The blond exclaimed triumphantly.

"We can celebrate later. Where is LabRat?"

"I locked him up in the boiling room. Um, it should be directly under the lobby."

The two made their way to the room furthest from the storage room. Ty tested several keys until he found one that fitted the keyhole. He unlocked the door and out came LabRat along with a smokescreen of water vapor. The young scientist was dripping with sweat and panted heavily.

"LabRat!" Ty bent down and helped his friend on his feets. He pulled one of LabRat's arms over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around his friend's side. "What happened?"

LabRat coughed. "Kid Rot handcuffed me to a pipe. When I tried to break free I accidentally broke one of the darn steam pipes." He showed the handcuffs on his wrist that still had a broken off steel pipe attached in the other end. "A few more minutes in there and I would have cooked like a lobster." Once he saw Chester his exhausted frown turned into hateful scowl. "What is he doing here?"

Chester flinched at LabRat's obvious distaste for his presence, remained silent thou.

"He's okay LabRat, Chester is on our side now." Ty explained.

"So, where is Abby?" LabRat asked.

"Um, come on. I explain on the way." Ty exclaimed and the three boys made their way out of the basement. Ty explained what had happened, from his infection to Abby's sacrifice.

LabRat turned a sharp eye at Chester. "So, thanks to you we now have to fight one of our best friends with no available means."

"It wasn't his fault." Ty stated.

"No, it is my fault but I am ready to make up for it." Chester said with his face hidden behind his hair in shame.

Once they got out of the shambled hotel they were meet by a surprise. The GRS-1. Although it was clearly not quite the same. Instead of the summer green color, what little paint that remained was military green and the vehicle was covered with mold. The backdoor was still open.

"What is the GRS doing here?" LabRat asked puzzled.

Chester scratched his neck. "I used it to bring you and Abby here."

"I see you did some alterations." LabRat spat.

"I think the words I used were "Sweet ride but not in my style." Chester apologetically explained.

"Come on, let's get inside." Ty sighed. The trio walked in. They were pleased to find that with the exception from the seat cushions that had turned into mold the inside of the GRS-1 was unspoiled.

The head of a familiar white rodent peaked up from behind one of the consoles. All negativity in LabRat's expression instantly vanished and was replaced by a happy smile. "Hermes." He untangled himself from Ty and ran up to his beloved pet, picking him up and calmly stroked his back. "I missed you buddy."

Ty sat down in the driving seat and ran an engine control by the ships computer. He sighed in relief when he saw that everything was functional. "Well, it looks like all the systems are working. What now?"

Chester nervously stroked his hands. "I don't think we can make cure guys…"

"Ugh, can you please stop with all this emo nonsense." Ty protested.

Chester scowled a bit. "I was gonna say that we can't do it by ourselves. The bacteria have changed too much since I created it…accidentally."

"You mean like how it is currently possessing Abby." LabRat accusingly spat.

Chester decided to ignore it. "We will need an expert at genetic manipulation and I do know a certain woman that might be able to help…but you're gonna hate her."

The GRS took off and flew off in the first light of dawn, a promise of the battle to come.

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for this relatively short chapter. I tried my best not to make this into some kind of boring videogame level. To be honest I just wanted to get this chapter over with so that I could start writing the fun stuff. **

**Next chapter will have something all Grossology fans will enjoy. Insectiva VS Kid Rot. Do not miss it!**

**Your reviews are highly appreciated. **


	6. Rot the Cradle

**Chapter 6: Rot the Cradle **

The sun went up over a peaceful farmyard community a short way from Ringworm when the rot suddenly struck. The crops started to rot and became another layer of topsoil. The building tumbled and became one with the earth as the rot ate it away. The cattle died as they breathe in the microscopic spores that infected their lungs. Their flesh turned an unhealthy green before becoming mold.

Insectiva viewed the scenery from a safe distance on top of a ridge. A satisfied smile graced her face. She held up to fingers to the air before thrusting her arm forward. A swarm of flies, gnats and beetles flew out of the forest clearing behind her while earwigs and cockroaches crawled across the ground. They all swarmed past their adoptive mother, onto the once fertile farmyards.

"Go forth my pretties, expand our family." Insectiva commanded. The flying insects landed in the dirt while the crawling bugs burrowed themselves into the moist, soft soil. All laying crystal white eggs. To Insectiva this was a sight for sore eyes. Her 'children' laying their eggs in the ruins of human civilization. Still, this was only a taste of what to come. Insectiva was so occupied with her family that she didn't noticed someone walking up to her from behind.

"Now, that is what I call a baby-boom." She heard a raspy female voice say and she turned around. A teenage girl walked out of the woods. At first glance Insectiva thought it was the female Grossologist, Abby but she soon became unsure. This girl had skin dark as asphalt. Her irises was fiery red and her foot long hair lacked luster.

Kid Rot smirked when she realized that Insectiva didn't recognize her. "O come on now. Don't say you don't recognize your own accomplice."

The entomologist furrowed her brows. "Kid Rot?" She said incredulous.

"Not the one but the only." Kid Rot cooed.

"But, but how?" Insectiva asked confused.

"Simple, I am a bacteria. I just changed host." Kid Rot walked nonchalantly past Insectiva to get a better look at the destroyed farms.

"So you took the body of the female grossologist." Insectiva deducted. Her glee soon broke into a hysterical laughter. She had to wrap her arms around her abdomen to get some composure. "Uh, I would have paid anything to see that transgression." She said in-between her laughter.

"With your life maybe." Kid Rot huffed in annoyance. She hated other people's laughter. Laughter meant someone was well and if someone was well than she hadn't done her job.

Insectiva took a deep breath, trying to quench her laughter. "So, how do you like being a girl?" She asked teasingly.

Kid Rot swayed her hips. "Well, I kind of miss my junk but otherwise it feels great."

Insectiva joined her by her side and they watched the swarm multiple. Kid Rot smiled at the destruction she had caused but soon shifted to a serious scowl. She took a few long strides along the ridge. The insects crawling on the ground made the earth at the demolished farmyard seem to move. The swarm flying above it almost looked like fire smoke. "Beautiful, aren't they?" She said ominously.

"Yes, they are?" Insectiva replied. A dor-beetle crawled up her arm and settled on her palm. Insectiva very gently brought the beetle to her face and stroked her cheek against the insect. "The most beautiful living beings on god's earth."

"Yah, but that's the thing thou isn't it?" Kid Rot exclaimed darkly.

Insectiva raised a confused eyebrow at this.

Kid Rot snapped her neck at Insectiva. "They are living beings." The parasite cryptically said.

Turning her attention back to the breeding ground, Kid Rot hold out her hands and send out a wave of energy over the landscape. The insects dropped to the ground. Their limps bended inwards as their muscles putrefied. Their exoskeletons lost all color.

Insectiva's expression turned to one of shock and sorrow. Seeing all her children and their offspring dying left her speechless. She turned her face against Kid Rot that simple smirked playfully as if it had all been a joke. Insectiva's frown soon turned to a furious scowl. The anger building inside her cause her to shake.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" She screamed and jumped at the infected teen. Kid Rot was faster however and shot a rot-blast at the ground in front of her, prompting the former entomologist to stop in her tracks. Her anger halted by survival instincts.

The two villainesses starred each other down. Kid Rot with a confident smirk, embolden by her powers. Insectiva with a murderous scowl, fuelled by motherly rage.

"You think you can beat me? You couldn't even defeat Abby Archer." Kid Rot mocked.

Insectiva clenched her teethes. She hated to admit it but she couldn't defeat Kid Rot, not by conventional means anyway. She couldn't even touch her without decomposing. She reluctantly jumped back and ran into the nearby forest. Kid Rot shot rot-blast after her but the agile woman managed to avoid her blasts by jumping up a tree, disappearing inside the foliage.

Kid Rot followed her into the forest with casual easy steps. The parasite's body might be new but her personality was very much the same. Insectiva had made herself her enemy and had to be annihilated.

"You can't hope to defy me. I am a force of nature." Kid Rot shouted at the trees. "I am erosion, I am decomposition…I AM DEATH!" She stomped her foot in the ground. The trees around her died and shed their leafs. Kid Rot could now see Insectiva crouching between two branches. The parasite smirked. "There you are. Cowering like a little bug."

"Don't you know? Insects know no fear." Insectiva retorted unawed. Kid Rot shot at her but Insectiva avoided the blast by jumping to the ground. With her back facing her opponent she turned her head to give Kid Rot a sharp one-eyed glance. She snapped her fingers.

A swarm of wasps and horseflies stormed out of the surrounding shrubbery. They overwhelmed Kid Rot and soon covered her body until they formed a living column around her. Attacking her skin with mandibles and stingers.

Insectiva looked on with glee. "Yes, yes. Revenge your brethren. Rip the meat of her bones so I can pull that irking parasite of her spine. Hahahahahah!"

Her laughter stopped abruptly when her insects stopped moving. Their bodies quickly succumbing to rigor mortis. The upper half of the column fell apart, revealing a perfectly fine Kid Rot. The longhaired girl tilted her head with an unimpressed smirk. "Was that all you got?"

Insectiva became even paler than usual. She turned her heels and ran as fast as she could deeper into the forest. Kid Rot rolled her eyes in amusement before following her prey.

Insectiva ran as fast as her long legs could carry her. She didn't know where she was headed she just knew she needed to get away from the parasite. Years of working in the dark had keened her senses and right now they picked up the sound of Kid Rot's blasts speeding thru the air. Like a fleeing cricket she out jumped the projectiles and like said insect she also knew that the best way to avoid an enemy was to flee in an unpredictable pattern. She managed to lose her but she knew it would not last long. She hide in a ditch to catch her breath. Her back braising against the brown dirt under a dead tree.

As her dread subsided she could feel her bail grow once again. Her fists coiling up so hard they almost penetrated the skin of her palms. Kid Rot had not only defeated her, she had humiliated her in the worst way possible. Insectiva was after all the one that had given the parasite its new powers and now it used those powers against her. Killing her children and forcing her to flee. Yet, Insectiva was nothing if not resilient. She was gonna turn the tables on Kid Rot and slay her, kid &amp; bacteria a like. In the middle of her anger her misanthropic mind found a funny anti dote in it all. She smiled lightly.

"Seems like humans can't even be trusted when there controlled by bacteria." She cooed to herself.

"Well, hello there." Kid Rot said suddenly. Insectiva spun around to see the possessed teenager leaning her elbow against the tree with her head resting sideways against her knuckles. Her grin playful and with no distress.

Insectiva was smart enough to wait for the younger female to make her move. Kid Rot shot upwards, believing Insectiva to jump backwards again but instead she jumped to the side, expanding her head start.

Kid Rot growled before taking up the chase. She loved a good hunt but this was getting tedious.

They continued their deadly game thru the forest as the trees started to clear. A large yet fast shadow flew over Kid Rot. She looked up confused at the weird flyer while slowing down her run. "What?"

Insectiva didn't even notice her follower slowing down. She just continued to run until she came out on a field. The sight of a strange but familiar vehicle descending from the sky prompted her to stop in her tracks. It was the GRS-1. It hovered right over the ground out on the field and opened the backdoor. The two male Grossologists, Ty and the scientist LabRat stood in the opening.

"Come on get in." Ty shouted while signaling with his hands for her to get into the ship. For a second Insectiva was puzzled but she was not going to pass up an opportunity at surviving. She ran up the ramp and threw herself inside.

Kid Rot came out to the field only to see the GRS-1's ramp coming up and the vehicle taking to the air.

Disbelief gave way to rage. "They escaped! Noooooooooooooooooooo!" She grabbed her temples, trying to control her anger. That irritating pain Abby's fighting conscience created got more prevalent but Kid Rot would not let this little setback ruin everything she accomplished. "It doesn't matter." She rationalized. "They can run as much as they want, they can still not do anything against me."

* * *

"Was that Abby? Geez, she has seen better days." LabRat quipped.

Insectiva got up to a crouching position and looked around. She was once again surrounded by enemies. There was Ty, the Grossologist she had fought for years. LabRat, the African American lab coat that she had only seen thru webcam and sitting on a chair was a scrawny blond boy she didn't recognize but she decided to hate him on principle. None of them was at the controls so she assumed that the ship was on autopilot.

She found herself with two options. Either do whatever the Grossologists required from her or kill them and take the ship for herself. She needed more information. She straighten her back to seem more respectable.

"It isn't that I am ungrateful but why saving me, and don't get me that humanitarian bullshit."

"We need you to stop Kid Rot." Ty said. "You are the only one that knows which other bacteria Kid Rot has recently blended with."

Insectiva arched her eyebrows before smiling sinisterly. As fast as a striking snake she grabbed Ty by the color of his suit, swung him around and smashed him against the nearest wall. She slowly brought her talons up to his throat. Her decision had been made, slaughter the crew and steal the ship.

LabRat rushed to rescue his friend. "Let him go!"

Insectiva didn't even bother looking at the tech geek. She struck out with one of her long leg and kicked him in the head. He fell to the floor. Insectiva closed the gap between her fingers and Ty's jugular, she was going to enjoy this.

"Wait!" A meek male voice spoke up. Insektiva turned to see it was the scrawny blond. He had stood up from his chair. "You need us just as much as we need you." He stated.

Insectiva arched an eyebrow. There was something familiar about this boy. "Go on."

"You might know which bacterial species and which genomes that has upgraded Kid Rot's powers but you don't know what the original bacteria was or which chemicals was used to create Kid Rot in the first place." He explained. Fear was obvious in his voice. "We-we need each other."

A disappointed scowl crept over Insectiva's face. She released Ty, letting him slide to the floor. She slowly walked towards the blond that trembled at her approach. She leaned in against him. "You were the original Kid Rot, weren't you?" She spat.

Chester gulped and his face flinched. That was all the confession she needed. She grabbed him hard by his shoulders, hard enough to make him squeal and cut his polyester clothes. She pressed him into a sitting position on the floor.

"You lied to me, you betrayed me. You killed my children like it was a game. I will kill you." She screamed angrily but without any sorrow one would expect from a grieving mother.

"Stop, don't kill him." LabRat said while dizzily trying to get to his feets. "As much as I hate to admit it we need Chester in order to defeat Kid Rot."

Ty stood up. "All four of us is needed. You do want to defeat Kid Rot right?"

Insectiva released Chester. They were right of course. Kid Rot had been very hush hush about the bacteria he already possessed and only told her which genetic abilities he desired. Of course he lacked the genius mind she had.

"Ugh, fine, guess I can maintain the pleasure of killing you for the wellbeing of my children." She scoffed.

Ty and LabRat sat down in the pilot seats. "So, were should we go?" Ty asked.

"We go back to the gaglab. Using whatever is left we can create an anti-dote for Abby." LabRat answered.

"There is nothing left." Chester said reluctantly. "I destroyed everything, besides what we need isn't in the gaglab."

LabRat sighed desperately. He already didn't like Chester and these news didn't do things better. "So were shall we go?" He asked annoyed.

Chester sighed before sitting back down in his chair. "Greenbottle, my old hometown. The high school there should still have my old research written down."

Ty took in this new information with unease but didn't really know why. There was something psychologically eerie about going to the birthplace of a maniac, especially with the person that used to be the maniac by his side. The way Chester's hands shivered did not make him feel any better. He looked at LabRat that looked back at him. He awaited LabRat to speak up against Chester's motion in favor of a more reliable option but he just kept quiet and turned to the controls.

"Okay, Greenbottle it is." Ty said somewhat nervously.

Chester vented in relief. He feared he would have had to debate the Grossologists over their destination, something the timid boy wasn't very good at. Insectiva walked up to him.

"Friends of yours?" She asked and jerked her head towards the other two. Chester didn't answer, he just turned his gaze away from the woman. Insectiva sat down next to him with a sinister smirk and leaned in closer. "You better hope that they got your back…because when all of this is over my insects will be eating on it." She whispered before slyly withdrawing. Chester gulped. Insectiva's threat seemed anything but hollow.

**Author's Note**

**Sorry for taking so long with updating this (lady fortune has been a bitch lately). **

**I thought this was a good place to end this chapter since next chapter will be more Ty &amp; Chester oriented. As for this one, I loved writing for Insectiva. Next to Kid Rot she is my favorite Grossology villain. She is more emotional, more expressive than Kid Rot. As you probably have notice I currently refer to Kid Rot as she/her now since the parasite possess Abby's body (the bacteria doesn't have a gender and reproduce asexual thru binary fission).**

**I would love some feedback for this chapter. Please leave a review/comment. **


	7. Olive Branches

**Chapter 7: Olive Branches**

Tension filled the inside of the GRS-1 like fire smoke and Ty sensed it. He looked over the space that was more restricted than a trailer van. Insectiva sat cross-legged on the medical stretcher. Her arms arched over her thigh. She looked over at Chester with a predatory sinister glint in her eyes. Chester stared back at her, like a chipmunk to afraid to take its eyes off a nearby rattlesnake. Ty sighed before looking at LabRat. The shut-in looked down at the navigation system on the control panel. He was concentrating. Concentrating on ignoring everything behind him.

This was not a team Ty would have chosen to be on. LabRat didn't trust Chester. Chester was terrified of Insectiva. Insectiva wanted to kill everybody and everybody hated Insectiva.

Ty got of his chair. "Maybe we should talk strategy." He exclaimed, mostly just to break the tension.

Insectiva tilted her head and gave Ty a playful yet devilish smirk. "I got a strategy for you, we cut Kid Rot's throat and burn her body. That would guarantee the destruction of the bacteria." The entomologist said in a cold manner.

Ty scowled hatefully. "No one is going to get hurt in this." He spat.

"Spoilsport." Insectiva huffed but her smile remained. She knew Ty wouldn't allow her to hurt his sister. She also knew that everyone aboard hated her. She enjoyed the negative emotions directed towards her and there would be plenty of opportunities to stir up some conflict later.

LabRat sighed loudly and turned around in his chair. "What are we supposed to do in Greenbottle anyway?" He asked annoyed.

Chester had a hard time averting his eyes from Insectiva. The woman that recently threatened him seemed like she could strike at any second. He reluctantly looked to the others.

"We have to get to Greenbottle High, my old high school." Chester swallowed a stream of cold air as painful memories reawakened. "It is where the first accident happened. I have saved all my research on the schools computer system. We will need it and the school's chemistry lab should have all the things we need to make an anti-dote, I hope." He explained and looked to the floor. He knew what he was gonna say next would not be too popular. "Also, the anti-dote must be airborne."

"What!" Ty exclaimed puzzled.

"The day I became Kid Rot I didn't have any wounds so the bacteria couldn't have come in thru my bloodstream. It has to have come in thru my respiratory system." Chester stated.

"But I saw you inject the bacterial hybrids directly into your blood." Insectiva pointed out.

"Yeah, but…the parasite wanted those bacteria. The parasite have full control of Abby's body right now, if it notice that something is wrong in any of the veins or arteries it will block those." Chester took a look at the knife cut in his palm. "Trust me, that parasite is not afraid of damaging his hosts." He whispered darkly.

"But if we can make her breath the anti-dote it would go into all the arteries." Ty exclaimed enthusiastically when he understood what his comrade was getting at.

LabRat was not as enthusiastic. He grunted and pinched his nose bridge. "So you are saying that we are gonna break into a high school, use the very basic chemicals in that school to make an anti-dote for a highly advanced bacteria, in gas form mind you, somehow transport it back to Ringworm and force it down the throat of a powerful super mutant?" His arms fell to his sides. "It's hopeless." He sighed.

"I say." Insectiva snarled and crossed her arms.

"Aw come on guys. We are three boy geniuses and one supervillain. I don't think there's anything we can't do." Ty said encouragingly, trying to lift everyone's moral.

The rest looked unimpressed.

"Correction, we are three high school nerds and one mad entomologist." Insectiva retorted sarcastically.

LabRat noticed the terrain outside shifting and turned around in his chair. "Guys, were here." He stated and the others gathered around the front windscreens.

"Wow, this place is…really boring." Ty said when he saw Greenbottle. It really was a generic little town. It looked kind of like Ringworm but with some of the communal hotspots taken out. "Do you have family here, Chester?" He asked.

The blond boy stiffen. "Um what?"

Ty raised his voice. "I was asking if your parents still live here."

Chester raised a puzzled eyebrow but there was a definite sadness in his glint. "Um Ty, I don't have any parents."

Ty arched his brows in surprise. "You-you're an orphan?"

Chester turned away from him and looked out the window. "Yah, that's how I have been able to move from place to place. No one is ever asking for me." His voice only revealed a hint of sadness but for the most he kept it detached from any emotion.

"Sorry to hear dude." Ty said. LabRat rolled his eyes annoyed. He didn't like Chester and liked it even less to be given reasons to feel sorry for him. If Insectiva felt anything at all over this information she didn't show it.

Chester vented sharply thru his nose. He could feel the other's watching him from behind and the bile building up in the pit of his stomach. He hadn't even been thinking about his parents for what seemed like years. Remembering that he was an orphan made him feel like everything was against him. Did he really need to be reminded that he was alone in this?

"The school is that way." He muttered and pointed at the east.

"Um, we know. We do have GPS." LabRat smarmed.

Chester knew the GRS-1's navigation system would find the quickest way to his old school but he needed to get validation that the school hadn't been moved or rebuilt. The more it had stayed the same the more likely it was that his computer files remained. Hopefully the lab still had the same chemicals as two years ago as well.

The GRS-1 ascended to the ground outside of Greenbottle High.

"Well, at least it is Saturday so we should have plenty of time." LabRat exclaimed as he rose from his chair.

"Yah well, Kid Rot did say she was going to level Ringworm with the ground so let's not be sluggish about it." Ty huffed.

Once the backdoor ramp was down Ty was the first one out, closely followed by Insectiva that couldn't wait to get out of the thing. LabRat followed suit, now in his blue slimesuite and with Hermes holding onto his shoulder.

Chester was the last one out. He felt like the atmosphere around him made a conscious effort to suffocate him. It had been so long since he was here. It felt like he was treading on forbidden ground, but there was more than just the bad memories haunting him. There was a sense of paranoia that something was missing. A void in the back of his mind.

Greenbottle High looked like most other high schools. A vast two story building but to Chester it looked like a dark castle from a foreign land, huge and uninviting.

"Well, now we need to get in without tripping any alarms." Ty said, looking up at the building.

"Break-ins are my speciality." Insectiva said in a smug tone. She made herself ready to jump when Ty grabbed her wrist.

"I don't know if I'm comfortable with letting you out of sight." He said sternly.

Insectiva pulled her hand out of his grasp. She huffed angrily and got up in Ty's face. "Touch me again Grossologist and you will wish you let me out of sight."

"Ty, this is not the time to be overcautious." LabRat argued. "Do you want to get in or not?"

Ty still scowled at the entomologist. "If someone is in there just avoid him or knock him out. No one is gonna get hurt in this."

Insectiva smirked. "You don't trust me. That's good but maybe you should extend that to Kid as well." With that she jumped up and crawled up the wall before disappearing over the eaves.

Ty felt nervous, not just for letting the team's lose cannon out of sight but also for what she had said. _What did she mean he shouldn't trust Chester? Did she know something they didn't? Was she just sowing seeds of doubt? _

LabRat walked up to him and leaned in to his ear, one hand shielding his mouth. "She does have a point dude." He whispered.

"What!" Ty wasn't nearly as discreet. He gave the shut-in a very serious scowl. "What reason has Chester given you to distrust him?"

"How do you know that he still isn't Kid Rot, waiting for the right moment to strike at us?" LabRat argued.

"I saw the parasite leave his body and go into Abby with my own eyes." Ty said.

LabRat crossed his arms. "Bacteria don't go from body to body they spread."

"Um, excuse me." Ty &amp; LabRat turned to Chester as he meekly spoke. "I actually know that I don't have the parasite in me."

"How do you know?" LabRat asked in a sour tone.

"I…" Chester's voice failed him, he was no good at arguing. "I just know." He said, looking to the ground.

LabRat raised an unconvinced eyebrow. They heard the sound of a lock unlocking and turned to the door. Insectiva was opening the double door for them from the inside.

"There. I have shut down any alarms." She said and the three boys walked in. She glanced at Ty. "Oh, and if commander killjoy wonders there is no one else here, alive or dead." She darkly cooed.

Ty took her insult in strides. "Come on, we need to get to the computer lab so Chester can get his research."

Chester took the lead as the others followed him thru the corridors. LabRat stopped in front of a white door with a tag that said "Nurses Office."

"Guys, we need to stop by here." He said and walked into the Nurses office.

"LabRat, what is it?" He got a worried expression and walked after. "Are you not feeling well buddy?" His expression turned into a disappointed frown when he saw LabRat spraying hand sanitizer in his hands and frenetically rubbing them together.

"Clean, gotta get clean." He whispered to himself.

"Are you serious?" Ty deadpanned.

Insectiva &amp; Chester also walked in. Insectiva looked confused at the black geek. "Are you sure he is a Grossologist?"

"You should meet the Director." Ty sighed.

* * *

They came into the computer lab. There was dozens of computers, stapled in lines on tables. "Okay Chester, get your files so we can get started." Ty said.

Chester turned on one of the computers and sat down in front of it. A window came up on screen that asked whether he was student or personnel. He clicked on student. Then came another window where he should fill in his student code. Here is where he hesitated and just stared at the screen.

"What is it?" Ty asked.

"I-I can't remember my password." Chester replied, looking somewhat ashamed.

"Aw, great! Now what?" Insectiva spat.

"Move over Chester, let me give it a try." LabRat exclaimed. The blond boy complied and got of the chair. LabRat sat down and started typing. After a while he slummed back with a satisfied smile. "There, where in on your profile 'Chester Humus'." He said, obviously a bit amused over Chester's rather ironic name.

"And I thought I was unlucky with my name." Insectiva hymned.

Ty rolled his eyes. "Can we please continue, Paul Squirfenherder?" He mocked.

LabRat huffed annoyed and returned his focus to the screen. "Okay, what's the name of the file?"

"Um, Project Ernutet." Chester answered shyly while scratching his neck.

LabRat allowed himself to crack a smile. "That's a pretty awesome code name."

Insectiva looked questioning at Ty. "Am I supposed to know what that mean or is it just some kind of slang you kids use nowadays?" She asked.

"Ernutet is the Egypt Goddess of harvest and nourishment." Ty explained enthusiastically. "I wrote an essay on her in fifth grade."

LabRat typed the name in on a search monitor and soon it popped up. A file with a green cobra as a sigil, the animal of Ernutet. Once LabRat clicked on it a long list of chemicals turned up. They were all classified under biological and non-biological chemicals. Their effect on the serum had also been written down. He scrolled down, reading with deep scientific interest.

Insectiva stepped closer and leaned down to the screen. "Hmm, I don't see any bacterial phylum here." She stated and raised an eyebrow at the others, asking for further explanation.

Chester looked shamefully to the floor. "A bacteria was never part of the experiment. It was a mistake."

"But I isolated the bacteria in the gaglab, two years ago. It was a mutated form of Neisseria Henrickus." LabRat said, waving a pointing index finger in the air.

"You-you remember that?" Chester asked in disbelief.

"I have perfect photographic memory." LabRat smirked.

"Okay, print out everything of project Ernutet so we can take it to the science lab." Ty exclaimed.

LabRat did as he was told and a nearby printer soon started printing out pages. "Hmm, we would need a sample of the parasite to test it on." He stated.

Insectiva fished out a needle from behind her back. "I have an extra compilation of the hybrids I made for Kid but we will still need a sample of the original thing." Her eyes beamed deviously at Chester. The blond boy only had time to flinch before Insectiva grabbed his shirt and pinched his back against a table. Chester stared fearfully into Insectiva's ruby eyes, trembling with fear.

"Stop it. Now!"

Insectiva turned her head only to stare into the barrel of Ty's goopshooter. Its user had a stern look on his face. "Get of him Insectiva. I am pretty sure we can get Kid Rot spores from the GRS-1. We don't need blood samples."

"It could help." LabRat said. "If we knew whether Chester really still had that thing inside of him I would be put at ease."

"CAN WE CONSENTRATE ON WHAT MATTERS!" Ty shouted which caused the others to fall silent. Insectiva released her grip of Chester that immediately backed away from her.

Ty didn't mean to shout but now that he had he was kind of glad he did. He and Abby was very fine tuned when they cooperated. They knew each other's strengths and each other's moves thru experiences but in this team he was the only one with any field experience so he had to take charge. He took a deep breath.

"Listen, Kid Rot is destroying Ringworm faster than we can produce an anti-dote so we don't have time to waste on anything else." He looked at LabRat and Chester. "You two take Chester's work to the chemistry lab and see if you can reengineer project Ernutet. Me and Insectiva will take samples from the GRS-1 to the bio lab and create a test subject."

LabRat and Chester glared at each other with disdain. Neither of them liked the idea of working with the other. Surprisingly it was Insectiva who spoke up. "Why do I have to work with you, Grossologist slag?" She spat.

"Cause I don't trust you to make medicine for my sister. You may try to sneak in toxins or something." Ty replied, his brows furrowed.

The entomologist huffed and arched her shoulders. "Are you this much of a helicopter-boyfriend with the girls at school?" She sarcastically mused before walking out of the room. Ty followed suit.

* * *

LabRat and Chester walked into the chemistry lab. LabRat had the file papers in his hand as he walked over to the cabinets with the chemicals. He picked them out as if they were groceries on his shopping-list.

Chester just stood still in the door opening. He looked with dismay at the corner of the room. It was there it happened three years ago. There was still burn marks on the floor and wall from that fateful day. Chester's brooding expression deepened and his fists tightened.

_One drop, one fucking drop and I lost any chance at a normal life. _

"Uh, are you okay?" LabRat asked flatly.

Chester snapped back to the present. "Um, yah. I'm good."

LabRat didn't buy it. "You know if you're going to freak out about every little thing maybe you shouldn't be here."

Chester shacked his head. "No, I 'am here to help."

"Yah that would be a first." LabRat muttered under his breath.

LabRat and Chester worked on the drug for hours. LabRat had a pretty good plan for how the anti-dote would be constructed, with an emphasis on enzyme inhibitors as the main focus of the recipe. Chester had been thinking on an anti-dote thru the years and had some of his own ideas but it became pretty obvious that when it came to pharmacology LabRat had him beat.

Problem aroused when LabRat loaded some samples in a centrifuge.

"Are-are you sure centrifugation will be necessary. The product will lose some of the qualities by evaporation." Chester stated hesitantly.

LabRat scowled suspiciously at the blond. "Are you sure that is the only reason?" He inquired and activated the centrifuge.

Chester raised a confused eyebrow. "Wha-what do you mean?"

"I mean, maybe you want to create a new parasite rather than an anti-dote." LabRat said.

Chester was taken completely off guard by LabRat's suggestion. "Why would I do that?" He asked shocked.

"I don't know, you seemed rather reluctant to get rid of it in the Gaglab the last time we met." LabRat pointed out.

Chester opened his mouth to argue but then hesitated. It had been true that the parasite influenced his mind at the time but it didn't really control him at that point, it was mostly coaching him. The choice was still his. Chester remained silent for a time while LabRat worked on the serum.

"I'm sorry." Chester finally spoke up.

LabRat looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You think that's enough to make me forgive you?" He asked in a mixture of puzzlement and disdain.

"What else do you want me to do LabRat? I am here, I am helping and I want Abby back as much as anybody. I know that I've done mistakes, big ones but I am doing whatever I can to make up for them." Chester argued mournfully.

The tech geek vented sharply. There really was nothing wrong with anything that Chester had said. If the roles were reverse he would have done the same. Besides, if Chester had wanted to sabotage the project he would have done so already but trusting people was not something LabRat was used to, he was used to the predictable nature of computers than to the chaotic behavior of humans. The only reason he trusted Ty and Abby so much was because he had gotten to know them for a long time. Still, he did feel a certain sympathy for the blond boy.

"Yah, well once we succeed with this I can forgive you." He turned to his workstation and looked at the various chemicals. He looked back with a smirk at Chester. "How good are you at chemistry?"

"Last I checked I was reading at a university level." Chester replied.

"Good, then you can do the rest of this. I need to start working on the vessel to house it in once we turn it into gas." LabRat said before walking out of the room.

Chester smiled warmly after him. Was LabRat really extending an olive branch to him?

* * *

Ty sat on a chair in the bio lab observing Insectiva as she proceeded with the experiment. They had been lucky. As predicted the GRS-1 had traces of Kid Rot's DNA but it needed to be spliced in with Insectiva's hybrids before the sample would be anything like the parasite it its current state. Insectiva's bacteria also wasn't as fused as the ones she gave to Kid Rot so they needed to be spliced as well.

Ty was too young to have ever dealt with genetic engineering but it was something that fascinated him so he knew what a complicated procedure it was. Not just for how incredible delicate it was but also because one pretty much had to think backwards while doing it.

First one needed to find the sought after gene base among thousands of gene bases, then you need to isolate the gene by supplementing the enzymes that breaks down the "surrounding" proteins. With other words, to get the gene you want you have to concentrate on the genes you didn't want.

Despite that, Insectiva made it look easy, like she was Ty's mother working the kitchen. He hated to admit it but he liked watching her work.

Insectiva bit her lip as she cautiously placed the last gene in place under the microscope. Once done, she equally carefully sucked it up in a syringe. "It is done!" She exclaimed and flipped the syringe in the air before grabbing it again. "The same bacteria that gave Kid Rot's his powers will soon leave Abby vulnerable and defenseless." Her devious smirk threatened to cut her head in half.

She looked over at Ty that didn't look amused at the least. "What is it? I thought you wanted to stop Kid Rot as much as I did?" She asked sharply.

"Yah but unlike you I do it to save people, not to hurt my sister." Ty replied ruggedly.

Her smirk wouldn't budge. "You defend a city with about seventy thousand people, I defend the future of ten million species of insects so don't accuse me of being the un-altruistic one. I am just willing to make a bit harder decisions than you and soon you might have to make such a hard decision yourself."

"What do you mean?" Ty asked puzzled and a bit startled.

Insectiva sighed regretfully and when she looked at Ty again there was a new expression on her face, one Ty hadn't seen before. She looked genuinely concerned.

"Ty, Kid Rot is a living being and the one thing all living beings have in common is that they fight to survive." She walked over to the boy, placed a hand on his shoulder and bowed to his level. "This won't be an easy victory Ty. Abby will suffer, we will suffer no matter what we do. So when times get rough you have to make the right decision and stick with it."

Ty looked up at her with a certain degree of humbleness as he absorbed these words of wisdom.

_Wisdom of a madwoman._

* * *

Chester tried boiling the serum in a boiling flask to get the gas condition. He was growing increasingly more nervous and it had nothing to do with the experiment. He shifted his footing and tried to concentrate but it didn't help, it was that void in his mind that wouldn't stop reminding him that something was wrong.

He quickly turned around but there was no one there.

It wasn't what he heard that scared him but what he didn't hear that worried him. The absence of the parasite. It would always whisper to him what to do, whether it was threatening or appealing to his interests it had always been there. Even when it was silent Chester could always feel its presence but now he couldn't. He always thought that he would be relieved, happy once the parasite was gone but instead he just felt weak and vulnerable. For some strange reason he kind of missed his other self.

The serum started to boil. He decided to focus on the noise the bubbles made inside the boiling flask but it didn't help much.

LabRat walked in thru the door carrying a cylinder-shaped gas tank with a plastic tube attached to a gas mask. "Well, it was the best I could with such limited equipment but…I like it."

Chester managed to ignore his inner turmoil. "Uhu, that's great LabRat."

Ty &amp; Insectiva came in thru a door that connected the bio lab to the chemistry lab. "Where done with a test sample for you guys." Ty exclaimed and Insectiva held up the syringe for everyone to see.

LabRat got a bit worried about the red substance in the syringe. "Is that blood?"

"Yeah but don't worry, Insectiva prodded her own blood." Ty said. "No actual bad blood was actually drawn." He quipped.

Insectiva handed the syringe over to Chester. "It's good that you did since the bacteria affect the blood as well." He looked at the others that looked back at him and he felt a bit insecure. "Um, maybe you should test it." He tried to hand it over to LabRat, since he knew they trusted him more than him.

The shut-in smirked. "You got your own eyes to see with, you can do it." He said sarcastically, showing Chester his trust without actually saying it.

Chester poured a drop of the sample onto a slice of glass and placed it under a microscope. He gave it a look thru the magnifier before using a pipette to add a few drops of the serum he and LabRat had created. He held his breath in anticipation as he looked thru the microscope.

"I-I can't believe it." He exclaimed after a while.

"What?" Ty asked.

Chester looked up from the microscope with wide eyes. "We did it, we created an anti-dote for the Kid Rot bacteria."

"We did? Alright!" Ty said enthusiastically.

"Eureka!" Insectiva shouted.

"I never doubted." LabRat said.

Chester was stunned with disbelief for a few second but soon he too smiled.

* * *

The group walked thru the corridor towards the exit. Ty walked at the front with the gas tank strapped to his back. As they walked he informed them of his strategy. "The first thing I want is to get Kid Rot away from any populated area."

"Should be easy. Kid Rot is as paranoid as a 9/11-truther in a haunted mansion. She would come after us the moment she sees us." Insectiva retorted.

"Good, then I want three of us to keep her busy while the fourth one sneak up from behind with the anti-dote." Ty explained.

"Sounds good. So who are gonna were the gas tank?" LabRat asked.

Ty stopped and turned around, prompting the others to stop in their tracks. Ty took of the gas tank and handed it to Insectiva. The entomologist was as surprised as everyone else.

"Insectiva! Ty don't you think that's a little…risky." LabRat exclaimed.

"Yes and that's why Kid Rot won't expect it. I mean the three of us cooperating is pretty unbelievable but we three with her is almost inconceivable." Ty explained.

"Sounds reasonable…I guess." LabRat said, still somewhat puzzled.

"Don't worry, I won't misuse your trust." Insectiva said fraudulent.

"I'm sure you won't." Ty said sarcastically, narrowing his eyes at her.

The group continued towards the exit. By the front doors was a billboard with several pin-needles. Insectiva walked last in line with the gas-tank strapped to her back. Making sure no one saw her, she snatched a needle from the billboard and placed it in her pocket. She was planning on making good use of it later.

Ty, Chester, LabRat and Insectiva came out of Greenbottle High now ready to face their worst enemy cloaked in the body of their closest friend.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**I think my academia is showing ;) **

**In school Biology was my best subject but when it comes to Chemistry and medicine I am a fish out of water (even thou biology has as much to do with medicine as chemistry). I really hope I didn't make LabRat out to be some sort of jerk. I personally like the character and I think he has good reasons to be suspicious about Chester. It surprises me how many people has him and Chester disliking each other. I think they could be good friends once a few hurdles been overcome. Also, good luck to anyone that tries to write Insectiva. I mean, I love her and all but let's face it, half the reason that she is so good is because of Lili Francks incredible voice-acting.**

**Thanks to everyone that has supported my work so far, you guys are the best. I would appreciate it if you all left a review/comment on this chapter. **


	8. Foul Maiden

**Chapter 8: Foul Maiden**

Paige Logan sat at an outhouse café, having a lovely time with her two friends. The coffee at the French-themed café was ridiculously overpriced which fitted Paige well. It limited her chances at having to deal with anyone with a less than five digit income.

She took another sip of her café-au-lait. Suddenly it didn't taste so good. It became thick and tasted nauseatingly. After an expression of total disgust she spit out the coffee over half the table. "What the hell?" She exclaimed and looked into her cup. The white and golden-brown liquid had turned into a dark shade of green. The air soon filled with a disgusting odor. The three girls as well as all the other customers ran screaming away from the café.

"My kind of music." Kid Rot stated slyly to herself as she walked past the aforementioned café, rot spread out from under her feets after every step she took. "This might not be my kind of town just yet but with a little bit of effort and decorating," She shot a rot-blast at the canvas blind above the café tables which turned it into a gothic rouge, "this will become Rot Central."

She then heard the sound of techno-pop coming towards her. She turned around to see a convertible with a pair of giant stereos in the backseat driving up to the street beside her. The driver was a teenager, a bit older than Abby. He had blond hair and wore an orange west over a white shirt. In the seat beside him sat another teenager, a Latino in a red hood and shades.

"Looking hot girl!" The blond one called out to her. He had a perverted grin on his face.

"Are you headin for a party or are yo charging?" The Latino asked giggling.

Kid Rot arched an eyebrow. What was he talking about? She then looked down at her suit and it became pretty apparent what he meant. Since his slime-suit had been cut from navel to color it revealed **a lot **of cleavage. She looked back at the two teens with a sinister smirk.

"Yes, I was heading for a party but I feel I could use an appetizer beforehand." Kid Rot stated and walked up to the roofless car.

"Well, we are tasty baby." The blond said.

Kid Rot put her elbows on the car door and rested her head in her hand while looking seductively up at the teen. "Well hot stuff, good hunting is where you find it."

"Sure." He retorted. _How cute, he has no idea what he is in for. _

The blond leaned down and started making out with the girl, both seemingly enjoying the experience. He then opened his eyes in shock. He could no longer move or breathe. His eyeballs dried up and shrunk until they were the size of raisins in his sockets. His skin turned grey before he slumped back in his seat, dead and rotten. The Latino screamed in horror, practically threwing himself over the car door and ran away.

"What? Not interested in sloppy seconds? Hahahahaha" Kid Rot shouted after him. She ten leaned into the car and examined the radio console. "Now let's see if we can get some real music here." She flipped thru the channels until she found a song she liked. Stricken by Disturbed. The possessed teen then stomped her foot at the ground in ecstasy, sending out large waves of energy which crippled several of the buildings around her. Hordes of horrified screaming people started running away from the decaying district.

Kid Rot used her rot-blasts to propel herself to the top of a skyscraper. She then looked down at the screaming masses. "Listen people of Ringworm City. Your homes will be leveled with the ground, your food will rot, your water will be polluted, the air you breathe will get toxic and your bodies will fall apart," She then soften her voice, "but don't worry cause as far as I see it your all already dead."

She then felt a pounding headache. The obsidian skinned teen narrowed her brows, knowing exactly **who **was responsible for this annoyance. "I seem to have a fan-girl knocking backstage." She huffed jokingly to herself.

* * *

Inside the young girls mind, Abby did everything in her might to break free. She jumped up and spun a kick at the window to the outside world. She landed in a crouching position, panting and grunting between her teethes. She jumped up into the air again and chin kicked the window as hard as she could. It didn't even dent. Abby stared at the window, venting violently.

"Not happy with our new home, are you honey." Abby turned around and saw Kid Rot coming out of the shadows. Strangely the parasite's avatar still looked a lot like Chester but much taller.

Abby scowled and bumped her fist in her palm. "Finally, just the guy I needed to beat up." She advanced towards him.

Kid Rot smirked. "I thought we had a deal?"

"You should have gotten it signed." Abby retorted. Kid Rot playfully rolled his eyes. He knew she would ever keep her promise in the long run.

Abby tried to hit him in the face but the parasite blocked her with his hand. She then tried a roundhouse-kick at his stomach but Kid Rot grabbed her foot. Smiling devilishly, he twisted her leg. An instant _snap _was heard and he pushed her to the floor. Abby shrieked in pain and clutched her leg. She knew her leg couldn't actually be broken, it was only in her mind but it sure felt like it.

Kid Rot started walking towards her. "You are stronger then Chester ever was, but I am beyond strength." He locked his arm in the croak of her throat and pressed her onto her back. He then placed his knee on her chest and started punching her repeatedly in the face. Once done her face was red from bruises, her nose bleed and one of her eyes were shut. Kid Rot then got of her and forced her to sit up by grabbing her throat with one hand. His thumb pressing lightly on her windpipe.

"I don't think you quite appreciate the situation you are in so let me clarify. Everything you are, everything you own is mine now. Body and mind. You might not be able to die in here but your mind can be lost forever in the darkest depths of your conscience or I can break you until you have no memory of who you are. So, every day I will come here and beat you within an inch of your life until you learn that there's **nothing** you can do to get out of this." There was no reaction from Abby and Kid Rot smirked. "And there are other things I can imagine doing to you to remind you that you are mine." He leaned in and kissed her deeply. His tong explored her mouth and this time Abby was too afraid to shut him out. When he retreated from her he left behind a string of black slime on her lips. His intentions were as obvious as the devilish grin on his face.

* * *

"Hope you learn quickly." He said and let go of her throat. Abby coughed as the parasite disappeared into the shadows.

Back in the real world Kid Rot continued shooting rot-blasts at buildings and plants alike from atop her skyscraper. Trees withered and died and the houses crumbled like wet paper-boxes. She jumped down and landed with a wave of energy on the ground.

She heard the sound of sirens coming towards her. "I was wondering when Ringworm's finest was going to show up." She shimmed to herself. Soon enough she found herself surrounded by cop cars. A dozen cops stepped out and aimed their guns at her.

The Detective stepped out of his car with his usual monotone expression that said "_Just another strange day on the job". _He brought a megaphone to his mouth. "Madam, I order you to put your hand in the air and surrender. If you don't comply we will shoot."

"I rather taste your lead." Kid Rot shouted back.

The Detective once again talked into the megaphone with no discernable emotion. "Uh, our bullets aren't made of lead madam, there made of copper. It's more environmentally friendly."

Kid Rot grunted and rolled her eyes. If this guy tried to ruin her mood he had succeeded. "Whatever, the point is that it will be a cold day in hell before I surrender to you old man!" She shouted.

The Detective looked to his men. "You heard the little lady. FIRE!" The cops shot at the teenage girl but before the bullets could hit their mark Kid Rot disappeared under ground. The Detective arched a confused eyebrow. "Where did she go?"

Kid Rot then materialized behind them. "Peekaboo!" The cops turned around but before they could do anything Kid Rot spewed out a toxic fume hissing from her mouth. Some cops where lucky enough to hide behind their cars most was paralyzed by the toxic gas. Their skin turned grey and they fell to the ground.

* * *

Being one of the lucky ones, The Detective sat behind his car. "Darn, where are the Grossologists when you need them."

The GRS-1 flew in over Ringworm. Only the three boys was aboard now since Insectiva had split-off from the rest of the group to stake an ambush.

Ty sat in the driver's seat. "Well at least it won't be hard finding her."

"Yah, just follow the destruction." LabRat sighed grimly while looking out at the decomposed areas of the city.

Chester sat in a seat in the back, clutching his stomach in pain. He had felt an enormous ache in his gut ever since they left Greenbottle and he didn't know why. It wasn't a normal stomachache, it felt like if his gut was eating itself from the inside out.

"Hey Chester," Ty's voice snapped Chester back to the present, "You okay?"

Chester immediately let go of him stomach. "Um yah, I am fine. Just a bit air sick." He said reassuringly and nodded. Ty first arched an eyebrow but then just shrugged and turned back to the controls. Chester sighed in relief. They were here to save Abby, the last thing they needed was to worry about his sorry ass.

LabRat &amp; Ty could now see the Kid Rot possessed Abby. She continued to demolish the city with her rot-blasts, not taking any notice of the Grossologists. "We got visual contact on the maniac." LabRat said and Chester came up to see.

"Open up the hatchet LabRat." Ty said and ran to the back of the GRS-1.

Kid Rot laughed manically. "I haven't had this much fun since I decomposed that summer camp, hahahah!" A sudden hard blast of goop hit her temple. Her humored expression turned to one of shock. Someone dared ruin her good time? Enraged she turned around and looked up at the GRS-1. Ty was standing in the backdoor with a seeping goopshooter.

"I've been expecting you **Grossolosers.**" Kid Rot exclaimed. Using her rot-blasts as thrusters, propelling herself into the air.

The hatchet closed and Ty raced back to the driver's seat. "Drive, drive, drive!" He hurried LabRat.

The shut-in stepped on the paddle and the vehicle accelerated thru the air with Kid Rot following. "You got her attention?" LabRat asked.

"Yeah, you can say that." Ty replied. He held up his Grossometer and flipped it into communication mood. "Insectiva, we have Abby on our tail and we're heading towards your hideout. Are you ready?"

* * *

"Come into my den said the antlion to the ant." Insectiva giggled into her the Grossometer she had borrowed. She was hiding in the shrubbery of the forest outside Ringworm.

"Not the time for jokes Insectiva." Ty complained.

"Sure sweetheart, I am ready when she'll come." She said and turned off the Grossometer. She then hauled up the container with the anti-dote. She took the gasmask in her hand and then pulled out the pin-needle she stole from the school. She pierced it thru the gasmask's strap. Using a rock she clobbered the nail until it curved. The evil entomologist grinned devilishly.

* * *

The GRS-1 had crossed city limit and was now speeding thru the air above the forest grove.

Chester looked bothersome out of the window. "Uh guys, I can't see Abby anymore."

"You think she gave up?" LabRat asked.

"That doesn't sound like Kid Rot." Chester replied wearily.

LabRat suddenly startled when Kid Rot's head popped down from the roof outside the window. She hissed and spit a large slime ball that burst over the entire window. LabRat grabbed the controllers. "I can't see anything." He stated.

The side of the GRS-1 hit a tree. One of the tracks loosened and Kid Rot jumped off the out of control vehicle as it hurdled towards the ground. It hit the forest floor, knocking down vegetation and raveled up the dirt underneath.

Ty and LabRat managed to crawl out of the broken front window. Ty stood up and helped his friend to his feets. "You okay man?"

LabRat stroked his hand over his sore neck, looking annoyed. "I've felt better."

Chester crawled out of the botched up entering ramp. He had a large blue bruise on the cheek and pretty much collapsed on the ground. While he didn't have a slimesuit like the other two, he did have a goopshooter on his left hand. He coughed and stood up before walking over to Ty and LabRat.

Kid Rot materialized like a black duststorm in front of them. She smirked sadistically and tilted her head. "If you were this eager to die you just needed to beg." She elegantly clutched a fist.

"We're here to say that your new clothes don't fit you Kid." LabRat said with a determine gaze.

"Yah, leave Abby's body or we will get rough on you." Ty aggressively exclaimed.

Kid Rot smiled amused and rolled her eyes before settling them on Chester. The blond boy was half hidden behind LabRat. "Chester, old pal. I have missed our time together. How have you been?" The parasite asked with a hint of feminine allure.

Chester looked to the ground and stepped back. Kid Rot could feel his insecurity, he just knew it. In or out of body the parasite had its ways to hurt him both physically and mentally.

"Enough of this!" Ty proclaimed and fired his goopshooter at Kid Rot. She held up a hand, rotting away the incoming slime but before she knew it Ty had summersaulted next to her, kicking her in the chin.

"You really think you can stop me?" Kid Rot shouted and blasted Ty with a rot-blast, sending him hurdling away. Since Ty had his slimesuit the blast didn't infect him but it did hurt. Kid Rot then turned her attention to the other two. LabRat fired at her. Kid Rot deflected the slime with one hand while fiering with her other. The two boys managed to jump out of the way in time. "I am the embodiment of death and destruction, you are nothing to me." The girl shouted.

LabRat took up his grossometer. "Insectiva, we could really need you right now. Where are you?"

"Whaaat? You aren't at my place." Insectiva said with mocked puzzlement.

"We crashed. Get here as fast as possible." LabRat grunted.

"I'm on my way LabRat, just keep _She-Rot or Abb-Rot _or whatever we call her nowoccupied for a little while longer." Her calm tone infuriated LabRat.

In reality Insectiva had seen the crash and was already hiding among the bushes nearby. She was contemplating her options. She could either help her new team take down Kid Rot like planned or let Kid Rot kill them all and then wait for another opportunity to use the anti-dote. In either case, she would win.

Ty and Chester simultaneously fired at Kid Rot from different directions but she managed to jump and dodge every blast. Drawing upon the years of battle experience Abby had. She landed in front of Ty and tried to swipe him of his feets with a kick but Ty managed to jump over her leg. Kid Rot then managed to punch Ty in the stomach, making him clench in pain. Kid Rot then send a round house kick to his face, making Ty spin around and land on his face.

Kid Rot towered over her victim. She bombarded the boy with so much energy out of her hands it was hard to see him. While Ty's slimesuit protected him from decomposition the ground underneath him began to mold into a sticky mud. Ty tried to stand up when Kid Rot twisted her fist, causing the mud to petrify. Ty could not get his hands or legs free from the hard compact earth.

"These new powers makes destroying you almost boring. Almost." Kid Rot humored right before shrieking in pain. She looked down too see Hermes hanging on to her leg. The white rat was biting her in the knee. "Are you such small men that you let rats fight your battles?" She shouted before kicking the rat of her. After flying some distance the rodent hit the ground, lying on its side looking motionless.

"Hermes!" LabRat shouted and ran towards his pet. Kid Rot smirked sadistically. She fired a blast to the base of a nearby tree. The tree fell over and pinned LabRat under one of its branches. LabRat grunted as he tried to move the tree branch but it was too heavy. "This is why I never leave the lab." He sighed sarcastically.

Kid Rot now turned to Chester. The boy was shacking like autumn leaf. "Now that we won't be disturbed let's have a heart to heart." She said.

Chester raised his goopshooter and fired, his blast missed completely. Kid Rot disappeared underground before materializing in front of him like something from a horror movie. She crushed his goopshooter with her bare hand and pushed him to the ground, tearing off his weapon in the process. Chester started scurrying away from his tormenter.

Kid Rot huffed amused at this fear. "I have to say, I am impressed you even came here but that doesn't change anything. You are still the same old Chester, weak and cowardly but it doesn't have to be that way."

Chester was puzzled over her inquire and started to shakily get to his feets.

"I know you better than you know yourself Chester, don't tell me you prefer it this way. Lonely and without any means of defending yourself from those that wish you harm. I can make things the way they were before. We could be one again."

"Y-you le-leave Abby a-and take me back?" Chester asked.

Kid Rot laughed full heartedly. "I won't leave this sweet bod for your scrawny ass but that doesn't mean there isn't room in this world for two Kid Rot." Chester scratched his arm and looked to the side. He was obviously uncertain about her proposal. "Come on Chester, be smart about this. Even if you by some miracle managed to defeat me where would you go? You have no family, no friends and do you really think anyone will forgive you for the things you've done. I am your only salvation." Kid Rot argued. She then held out an open hand to Chester. "I can make you whole again and you and Abby can be together forever."

Chester's eyes skipped between Kid Rot and to the sides. She made a lot of sense. Ty and LabRat might be his allice right now but it was mostly out of convenience. Once Abby was back they would most probably turn their backs on him. He hated feeling this vulnerable. As much pain Kid Rot caused him the parasite had kept him safe. With tears streaming down his cheeks he started walking towards Kid Rot. He hated being Kid Rot, he truly did but it would be better than being scared and alone. Once an arm's length away from the parasite his lip was trembling with despair.

Then, he realized something. He did not know what caused him to have him this epiphany. Maybe he saw how different Abby's face looked now, maybe he saw a glint of the old Abby in Kid Rot's eyes (maybe it was the sight of a white haired woman coming up from behind) but he realized that this was not about him, this was about Abby. No matter the consequences was for him he could not let another person suffer the way he had suffered, especially not someone that's been so kind to him.

"No." He stepped back. His puffy red face stared defiantly at the female Kid Rot. "I might not like how things are now but they are a hundred times better than being your slave a-and I rather die before I let you do the same to Abby." He shouted.

Kid Rot had a hard time containing her scowl. She was infuriated at this act of defiance. "You think you can grow a spine just because I'm not in you anymore? I own you! You are nothing without-"

Her shout was suddenly strangled by Insectiva forcing the gas mask onto Kid Rot's face. She coughed as the gas vented into her respiratory system. "What is this?"

"Medicine. Suck it in." Insectiva retorted and kicked Kid to her knees. Kid Rot coughed even more and tried to rot away the tube and the gas tank. "Don't even try that honey, there isn't an inch of organic material on that thing for you to rot." Isectiva gleed.

Taking the opportunity in act, Chester ran to LabRat. He helped him getting out from under the branch. He then ran to Ty, still stuck in the ground while LabRat ran to get Hermes. Chester grabbed Ty from behind and tried to pull him out but the dirt was too hard. Once LabRat helped they managed to pull Ty free from the earth. They quickly headed back to the possessed Abby that was right now convulsing on the ground.

She tried to pull the mask off but the upward bended nail in the strap just dug deeper with every tug. "Help! Help!" Kid Rot cried out, trying to appeal to the boy's sympathy for Abby.

Ty bit his lip, his family instinct finally getting the better of him. Before he could move thou Insectiva stepped in his way. "Don't you dare help that foul being. The only one that can help Abby now is Abby."

* * *

Inside Abby's mind Kid Rot's avatar had problems dealing with the anti-dote. He could barely stand, he was sweating, and panting and his skin was seemingly falling off.

"An anti-dote, I can't believe they actually made an anti-dote. Doesn't matter, I still have control." Kid Rot grunted.

"You have lost Kid. Just give up." Abby argued.

Kid Rot stood straight up, looking directly at her. He grabbed some skin of his temple and ripped it off. Abby grimaced at the vial sight. "I have not lost, not yet. I still have you as leverage." He walked right up to her. He grabbed her throat with one hand and lifted her off the floor. The teenager shipped for air. Kid Rot raised his other hand, waving his digits in front of her while smiling wickedly. He made his hand transparent and then stuck it thru Abby's chest. Even with her throat being clenched Abby screamed in pain.

"Only one girl has ever hold Chester's heart and now…I am holding hers." He humored darkly.

* * *

Back in the physical plane Abby jerked her body backwards and with a painful gasp she fell onto her back. She lied motionless, breathing heavily. The team gathered around her. They all noticed that the blood-vessels in her chest had turned purple.

"What is happening?" Ty asked in concern.

"The parasite is cutting of all the channels to her heart." Chester gasped. Ty and LabRat's expressions turned shocked.

Kid Rot's face was barely visible behind the gas mask. "Stop the process or I let her die with me." Her raspy voice didn't even sound human.

LabRat looked at Chester. "Chester." He pleaded for a solution.

Chester clenched his teethes and fingered his chin. He was thinking. "I-I think once the parasite is too weak to retain control Abby's body will start working normally."

"It might be too late by then." Ty snapped.

* * *

In Abby's mind Kid Rot was still holding her by the throat. He grew weaker from the anti-dote and soon dropped her. Abby gasped and stroked her sore throat. Kid Rot trembled backwards fore falling to his knees.

"This is not over." He whispered.

Abby walked up to him in a threatening manner. "GET OUT OF MY HEAD, YOU CREEP!" She kicked him as hard as she could in the face. He fell backwards before disappearing in a puff of black soot.

* * *

Ty, Chester and LabRat was on the brink of despair when Abby's body suddenly started returning to its normal Caucasian color. The purple lines on her chest faded and her hair regained its usual luster.

"Steep back, give her some air." Insectiva said and everyone stepped away from Abby.

The long haired girl sat up and gasped for air. The three boys ran happily (yet concerned) to her but Chester halted in his tracks. He figured the last person Abby would want to see now was the guy that caused all this.

Ty kneeled down in front of his sister while LabRat sat down behind her and helped her take of the gas mask, carefully removing the nail from her head.

"Abby, are you okay." Ty asked concerned.

Abby rubbed her head. "I am fine, just a bit shaken." Ty wrapped his arms around her in an affectionate hug which she returned and LabRat patted her shoulder.

Chester smiled warmly and tilted his head, enjoying their display of friendship. He then heard footsteps. Turning around, he saw Insectiva walking away. "Hey, were are you going?"

"I got nothing left to do here. I just wanted to stop Kid, the grossologist's life means nothing to me." She explained. Placing two fingers in her mouth, she whistled and a swarm of flies and beetles flew up infront of her. She gave Chester a sharp stare. "I'll kill you all next time." With that she stepped aboard her vessel of invertebrates and took off toward the sky.

Chester looked as she disappear into the distance. Suddenly, his stomachache which he had for hours now intensified. He swore his stomach was eating a hole thru his abdomen. He clenched his teethes and laid his arms around his stomach. His sight became blurry and then…he fainted.

Abby was the first to notice his drop to the ground. "Chester." She hollered concerned and ran towards him. Ty &amp; LabRat followed her. They gathered around the unconscious boy. "Wha-what happened?" Abby asked.

"I don't know. A Kid Rot side effect perhaps." Ty Suggested.

"Wait, I know these symptoms." LabRat proclaimed. He leaned down and squinted his eyes. "It looks like…" He raised a confused eyebrow. "Anorexia?"

* * *

Insectiva flew high in the sky on top of her bug swarm. The dor-beetle from earlier landed on her arm and crept up to her hand. Insectiva looked sympathetically at the black little beetle. "Aww, baby. I am sorry. I should never have trusted that Kid Rot," she drew a sinister smirk, "but his idea of hybridization, it sparked an epiphany. I will come back deadlier and creepier than ever, MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Sorry for the bad title of this chapter. I tried to come up with a gross-related pun on **_**Iron Maiden **_**and the closest I could come up with was Foul Maiden. I am also sorry for taking so long with updating this but hopefully this chapter was worth the wait. The scene where Abby gives the boy a kiss of death is a refrence to a scene in Spawn: The Animated Series. Theres also a pretty obvious refrence to Batman: Heart of Hush. No reason really, I am just super geeky. **

**Of course this isn't the last chapter. The upcoming chapters will focus a lot on Chester adapting to his new life without Kid Rot and his complicated relationship with Abby. The Ty &amp; Naomi stuff will come later in this story.**

**Your reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	9. Alone in the Rot

**Chapter 9: Alone in the Rot **

The first thing Chester saw when he opened his eyes was the blurry sight of a drip chamber hanging on top of a hanger. He could not make out what the label on the plastic bag said but his scientific mind quickly made up a list of potential liquids that the bag could contain. He moved his arm a bit and the tube from the bag moved too, affirming his thought that the drip chamber was indeed attached to him but he could not feel the needle.

"It's good that you're awake, son." Chester immediately turned to the source of the gruff manly voice. It was The Detective. Chester had never seen him before but he recognize him as some sort of authority figure. "I am The Detective. Police detective and booker between the bureau of Grossology and the public. You are in Ringworm's hospital." He said in a motionless tone and showed his ID-card.

Chester looked around the room he was in. He was definitely in a white hospital room. His was the only bed there, not that he would think that a second bed would even fit. The one thing his eyes fixated on was the other two people in the room. It was Abby &amp; Ty, standing in the opposite corner to The Detective, wearing their normal yellow and orange slimesuits.

"Abby? Ty?" What are you two doing here?" Chester asked surprised.

"We were worried about you." Abby replied. "You have been unconscious for hours."

Their compassionate acts it never ceased to lure a small smile to his face. This faded quickly thou. "How-how did that happen?"

"You collapsed from a severe lack of nourishment." Abby answered.

"Yeah, you might not know this but you weigh less than forty-five pounds right now." Ty explained.

Chester's eyes widen in shock and he pulled off his bedsheets. He examined his body, especially his chest and upper arms. He had always been scrawny, it had often been the main object of humiliation for him but now…not just was he scrawny he was right down skeletal in nature. His ribs &amp; collarbone was showing and the skin on his shoulders was sunken in. He could give some starving African children a run for their money. How could he had let it come to this?

"Um Chester, did you eat **anything** while being possessed by the parasite?" Ty carefully asked.

Chester mind completely blanked from hearing that question. Ever since Kid Rot took full control of his body he had never been hungry or had any desire to eat so food never crossed his mind. "No, I can't remember that I did." Chester answered dumbstruck.

"Sounds strange to me. Even a monster gotta eat." The Detective said. This caused Abby to glare angrily at him. She understood what he meant but he didn't have to be so blunt in front of Chester.

Chester had not heard it thou, his mind was totally caught up in this new mystery. How could he have survived two years without eating? He did have a hypothesis. "The parasite survived on the nutrients in rot. I guess that during our symbiosis it chaired those nutrients with me." He suggested.

"I don't think that would be enough to suffice a teenager." Ty pointed out.

"I guess that's why I collapsed shortly after my biology went back to normal." Chester stated meekly.

"Well, whatever it is, you need to eat." The Detective exclaimed with jabbing trigger finger. He opened the door and walked out, only to return the next second, rolling a traymobile in front of him. He pushed it to Chester's bed. On the tray was a glass of orange juice and a dinner plate with a steel lid on. The Detective took off the lid. Chester looked and blinked questionable at the food in front of him. It wasn't necessarily that the food disappointed him, it just felt weird being served food just after being reminded of his need for it. The food was boiled potatoes, meatloaf and steamed carrots.

"Better eat before it gets cold." The Detective said gruffly.

The blond carefully grabbed the knife and fork on the side of the plate and started sawing of a piece of the potato. Eating was of course an instinctual action but after two years of not even thinking about it Chester had forgotten the sensation of it. First was the foretaste when the morsel hit the tong, then the spreading once he started chewing, the taste intensified and then came the small hurdle when he gulped it down. Getting used to it he immediately started eating faster and sloppier, like he just remembered how hungry he truly was.

A few minutes later he looked up at the others that was staring impatiently at him. He gulped down the mush that was left in his mouth. "Sorry. You guys are probably not just here to check up on me." He sounded apologetic.

"Right, there are a few things we need to discuss." The Detective said. "The doctors took some blood samples while you were comatose."

"And…?" Chester looked positively terrified over what the answer would be.

"And nothing. There was no sign of any dirty buggers running around in your bloodstream." The Detective exclaimed.

Upon hearing his suspicions confirmed Chester felt a strange mixture of relief and melancholy. He was glad to finally be glad of that parasite but he still felt incomplete without it. "I thought so." He sighed.

Hearing the unease in his voice Abby tried to cheer him up. "Isn't that great. Kid Rot can't hurt you anymore."

_He can't hurt __**you**__ anymore. _That thought brought a warm smile to his face. "Yeah, that is great."

"There's one more thing. The doctors say you can leave the hospital tomorrow. So tomorrow I will take you to the bureau of grossology, there we are going to have a meeting with The Director." The Detective explained. He then jerked a thumb at the Archers. "Their boss."

"Like an interrogation?" Chester asked, fearful and submissively.

The Detective held up a dismissive hand. "No, more of a meeting to determine what to do with you."

"Ty &amp; I will be there too to keep an eye on things." Abby added.

"Well, he is your case after all but we better leave him to rest and replenish your energy now. See ya." The Detective said and left thru the door.

"Soft as a teddy bear." Ty cynically chased, eyeing the leaving detective. His voice soften when he turned to Chester. "See you tomorrow then buddy."

Abby simple smiled and waved to him as they headed for the door.

"Abby." Chester's shout out caused both siblings to stop and turn to him. "Abby, what you did for me, offering yourself to the parasite. No one has ever-I-I don't think I can thank you enough." He continued after finding his voice, sounding both distraught and thankful at the same time.

Abby seemed perplexed at first but then grew a smile. "No problem and thank you for returning the favor."

Chester tried to avert his gaze as far away as possible without actually turning away from her. From his perspective there was nothing heroic over what he had done to cure Abby, he had just cleared up a mess he had created. "It-it was nothing."

Abby gave a pleased nod before she and Ty exited the room, leaving Chester alone.

* * *

Meanwhile, LabRat looked over what used to be the gaglab. Not only had Kid Rot molded everything organic in the lab but also smashed a lot of the electronic devices. People wearing mouth-guards worked all over the place. Scurrying from place to place, dispersing disinfectant, picking up scrap metal and trying to repair the salvageable equipment.

LabRat sighed hopelessly at the sight. So much of his work for nothing, so much work to do now. Hermes had rolled himself into a ball as he slept inside his master's shirt pocket. Not even the purrs of his sleeping pet rat cheered him up.

The Director walked up to him from behind. "What a mess, what a stinky, disgusting mess." He lamented in his usual high-pitched tone.

LabRat simple sighed even louder. Feeling some sympathy for his young employee The Director patted him on the back. "It will be fine LabRat. We will rebuild it, stronger and better than ever." He said with wide toothy smile, although his real thoughts was _'The mayor will kill me when I ask for more of the taxpayers' money.' _

* * *

Ty &amp; Abby came home around 20:30 that night. They stepped into the hallway, now in their civilian clothing. Their mom, Petunia stormed out of the kitchen. She didn't say anything, she just stared at them with worried red puffy eyes. They had been gone for two days with no telling of their whereabouts so there was no wonder why she had been crying. After her came their dad, Harvey. Going in much more subdued tempo. His expression wasn't quit as distraught as their mom's but he still looked hurt and worried.

No words needed to be spoken. Ty ran into the waiting arms of his mother that closed them around him. Abby ran to her dad that did the same. The Archer siblings nuzzled into their parents frames, absorbing their warmth and protective love.

* * *

That night Chester laid completely still in his hospital bed, but he was far from asleep. His eyes was wide open as he thought of every harrowing thought he could. What was gonna happen to him? Where they gonna lock him up in some secret prison where they held all the other creeps that the Grossologists had fought? Where they going to send him to juvie? He would never survive alongside all the stronger, more aggressive boys. Maybe they were going to banish him off country or maybe just out right execute him just to make sure that a catastrophe like Kid Rot would never occur again.

'_Whatever that will happen is too good for you. You are a monster. Do you even know how many people you have hurt?'_

His guilt did not make him feel any braver, he just felt more helpless. Why did he deserve this? How had he come to the point where he deserved this? He thought back to a time before Kid Rot, when he was the social outcast at his school. No one had wanted anything to do with him. The only ones to pay him any attention was the bullies that saw him as a toy to torment since he was too weak to do anything about it. The psychic pain he felt from the isolation and hate would sometimes grew so intense that it culminated into actual pain, an aching hollowness in his chest. All he wanted was a friend, a companion that wouldn't abandon him when he needed company and his quest for one had ended in disaster. Why was it so wrong for him to wish for friendship?

_You know why. You are a horrible person, there is nothing good about you. You have never deserved anyone's love._

Chester stared into the darkest corner of the room. He felt like it was growing bigger, wanting to envelop him in darkness and despair. He almost **wanted** it to, so he could disappear and be forgotten. He turned around in his bed, hoping that he could forget about the shadows if he didn't see them but he soon realized it didn't help. He felt a strange chill along his back, like there was a cold universe of loneliness facing his back. He felt like no one liked him or cared for him and anyone that knew him wanted him hurt.

Deciding that he would never get any sleep this way he briskly sat up, waited a few seconds and then got off the bed. He walked out into the hospital corridor. He didn't really know what he wanted to do. He couldn't sleep, he knew that much. He came across a small reception. A blond forty something woman saw him thru the glass window. She smiled sympathetically at the confused looking boy and pushed up the window.

"You want anything?" She asked.

Chester scratched the back of his head, not really knowing what he wanted. His eyes caught the sight of a white cord phone. He let out a small sigh.

"Um, I wondered if I could use the phone?" He asked in a sad tone.

"Calling time ends 20:00 honey." She replied, sounding somewhat tiered.

"Please." He managed to squeak thru his thick throat.

The woman succumbed to her sympathies and placed the telephone on the counter. Taking the phone of the handle and handed it to Chester.

Chester managed a small smile. "Thanks." He looked down at the buttons, trying to remember the right number he wanted to call. He punched the numbers before holding the phone to his left ear, waiting thru the tingles for an answer.

Then a female voice answered. "Hello, you come to Greenbottle Retirement Centre, this is Lucilla Silver."

"Um, he-hey. I am looking for Thomas Humus. Is he there?" His voice landed somewhere between sad and indifferent.

"I'm sorry, Thomas Humus passed away four months ago." The answer caused a feeling of numbness to overcome Chester. "I'm sorry, who are you now again?" The woman on the other end sounded like she just remembered she should probably have asked that.

Instead of answering Chester placed the phone slowly back on the console.

"Did it go well honey?" The woman behind the counter asked.

"Hu, yeah. Thank you." He replied hazily before turning back and started retracing his steeps thru the corridor. He felt nothing, his mind was blank. It was like he was nothing more than a walking heap of flesh. He walked back to his room and climbed back onto his bed. He tucked the cover tightly around himself, trying to get comfortable.

…then came the tears.

His numbness was replaced with an even more potent kind of despair. The sound of sobs filled his rooms. "I am so tired of this." He mumbled with the sheet up to his lips. "Why does everyone leave me? Why can't anyone love me?" *sob* "I am a horrible person." There was a long pause before Chester cried out. Lauder and more desperate this time. "I wish I was dead!"

Chester eventually drifted off to sleep, mentally exhausted.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Sorry for this being such a short chapter and sadly the next chapter will probably be even shorter. The two chapters were actually meant to be one longer chapter but I felt like here was a good place to end for now. A little trivia, the name Lucilla Silver comes from the scientific name for the toad fly which is Lucilia Silvarum (not important but fun to know). **

**I am actually considering changing the title of the story but I am not sure so I want to hear from you guys what you think about it. **

**Any &amp; all reviews/comments are greatly appreciated. **


	10. Thru a One-Way Mirror

**Chapter 10: Thru a One-Way Mirror **

'_It's only a meeting, not an interrogation' _had The Detective told him but the room Chester was currently sitting in was indicating the opposite. It was rather small with stonewalls and a single elongated table in the middle. It had a one-way mirror window next to a black door. A typical interrogation room. Chester sat behind the table, biting his underlip just like the time LabRat isolated the parasite in the Gaglab two years ago. Getting here with The Detective, Chester had not seen said lab. This was a separate part of the Grossology bureau.

The door opened and The Detective &amp; The Director walked in. This was the first time Chester saw The Director and to say that all his expectations was shattered would be an understatement. Once Chester heard about the Grossologists underground boss he had imagined a tall, black dressed man in his thirties. Possible with a British accent. An entrepreneur within the field of secret service. Instead the man in front of him was barely taller than him and in his late forties with a residing hairline. If he wasn't so nervous Chester would have giggled at the unflattering resemblance to J. Edgar Hoover.

The two sat down in front of Chester. The Director hammered a bunch of papers into order. "Alrighty then. Let's get started…"

"Wait!" Chester interrupted. "Before we start I would want to ask you for a favor."

Both adults where pretty surprised over the timid boys outcry for a request. Even if neither really knew Chester his body languish definitely spoke for his discomfort over the situation. "Which is?" The Director asked.

Chester locked his fingers in a prayer-like fashion and nervously played with his thumbs. "Please don't confiscate my research. Please, once the formula is complete it could stop world hunger either as soil enhancement or as a decomposition inhibitor and it isn't fair that all those people should suffer just because I messed up." He looked ready to break into tears.

"We can't let you hold on to the formula, um, Chester." The Director said, trying to wrap his mind around what the boy had just said.

"No, of course not but I am pretty certain there are others more qualified to finish my work. Look into universities or institutes. There has to be some biochemists or microbiologists that would be interested." Chester explained downheartedly.

As usually when The Director was faced with something he wasn't prepared for he panicked. Chester's unique case had already given him a mild concussion last night and now this unprompted request. Plus, the way it sounded it felt important which just added to the massive responsibility he felt weighed on him.

He managed to keep his panic under the surface thou, with only his twitching face giving it away. He looked to the Detective for answers. The gruff lawman simple raised an eyebrow that without a word said '_not my jurisdiction.' _

The Director faced back to Chester with a forced smile. "Of course, we will check in on it. Now let's talk about what we are going to do about you."

Ty and Abby was on the other side of the one-way mirror window. On their own accord they were there for concern of Chester but The Director had them there as a safety precaution. Chester had after all, already been able to escape one of their facilities without his powers. Thru the window they could see everything taking place in the room but they couldn't hear anything.

"I wish we could hear what they are saying." Abby stated.

Ty smiled mockingly. "If you really wanted that you should be in the surveillance room checking the camera screens." It was true that the entire meeting in there was recorded thru a surveillance camera in the ceiling.

Abby simple shot her brother an annoyed glare before turning her gaze back to the window.

From the looks of it The Director was definitely leading the conversation. No reaction from the others could slow down his fast talking mouth. He kept up the same fake smile thru the entire conversation. The Detective was so expressionless and uninvolved that he could just as well have been a statue. In contrast, Chester went thru a whole series of various emotional expressions. Sometimes he would smile and nod feverishly, other times he would solemnly look down while scratching his arm. Mostly he would just stare at the Director with a submissive, innocent frown. A few times it seemed like he wanted to say something but was always interrupted by the Director's continued chatter, probably because the older man feared another suggested change in the plans he had already settled for.

Abby turned on her heels and leaned against the window frame, arms crossed over her chest. "I have a favor to ask you."

Ty raised a suspicious eyebrow, scowling. "What would that be?"

"I want you to take the surveillance room so you can let me in to Chester once The Detective and the Director has left." The longhaired girl vented.

Ty's face went from suspicious to startled. "Why? What are you going to do?"

"Nothing, I just want to talk to him." Abby defended with waving hand. She then placed them on the window frame. The sympathetic looks she gave Chester heightened Ty's suspicions.

"Are you going to break him out?" Ty asked sternly.

"It is personal, okay!" Abby snapped. Once realizing that she had overreacted she took a deep breath to calm down. She gave Ty a more sympathetic glance before turning back to look at Chester. "Listen, Chester and I have somethings to work out. There are things I need to know and things he needs to hear." She drew a playful smirk. "Besides, how can I pass up on a scenery like this?"

"Even if did this, how am I to get the guards out?" Ty asked, sounding a lot more sympathetic to Abby's request.

"You can come up with something, you're smart." Abby replied.

He smiled humorously at this complement and gave his sister an affectionate clap on the shoulder. "Fine, I'll do it. What is little brothers for if not to break into spy facilities?"

Abby's face glowed up with an ear to ear smile. Ty did not need to hear any words to know how grateful she was. Smiling, he turned and started walking away. "Goodbye promotion, goodbye spotless record. Self-respect, I think I am gonna miss you most of all." He hummed sarcastically to himself.

Abby continued to observe the three men inside the interrogation room. She checked the clock on her grossometer. 10:15 AM. It had only gone ten minutes since the meeting had started yet Abby felt like she had been there for hours. Curious over what was actually being said in there Abby pressed her ear against the glass. To her annoyance but not to her surprise she still heard nothing.

Slowly the conversation between the three became calmer, until it ran out into little more than short exclamations and head nods. The Director &amp; the Detective respectfully rose from their chairs and walked out of the room, leaving Chester with a mixed expression of relief and humbleness.

Once they stepped into the corridor and the electric door lock closed automatically, Abby stepped in front of them. "What are you planning to do to him?" She asked with an accusing scowl, her body was almost crouched in a fighting position, ready to bombard the two adults with every moral argument she could make in Chester's defense.

The two very dissimilar authority figures looked confused at one another before looking back at the teenager. The Director was the one to break the silence. "Well, to summarize, Chester will stay in Ringworm so the Grossologists can keep an eye on him. From this afternoon he will stay at Ringworm's Orphan Centre until he reaches legal age and can afford his own apartment. What will happen after that will be decided after further evaluations. On Tuesday he will start school at Ringworm High."

Abby's face changed from an accusing scowl to a blank expression of stunned disbelief. "Is that all? No real punishment?"

"Yah, well. Chester's case is rather…unique and the more we can keep secret from the public the better. As long as he doesn't have any slip-ups there's no need to involve the court. Of course there is the punishment that he has been forbidden to meddle in biochemistry ever again, in case the same accident would repeat itself and bring back Kid Rot." The Director explained.

Abby grimaced in uncertainly. "That seems…fair, I guess…but what about all his research? Um, project Ernutet?" She asked puzzled.

"As I said, what I gave you was just the summarized version. There is still a lot of things we need to decide on." The Director replied. "Now if you excuse us, The Detective and I have some important phone calls to make." He shooed Abby to the side as he and the lawman walked out of sight.

Abby stepped over to the electronic locker, a heavy side-shut bolt with a red little lamp on. How typical of the paranoid Director to spend more money on an advanced security system than on more effective field equipment. The Grossologist bit her lower lip, waiting for Ty to unlock the door via the surveillance room.

Her patience was wearing thin. "Come on Ty!" She hollered. As on a cue the bolt opened and the lamp turned green, she flinched in surprise. Abby opened the door and stepped in.

Upon her arrival Chester stared surprised at her. He had known the Archer siblings had been here but he didn't expect either of them to come into the room. "A-Abby, what are you doing here?"

The longhaired teen walked up to the table. "I am here because there is something we need to talk about." She said with reluctant honesty.

"Yeah, I guess so." He averted his gaze and rubbed his arm for a second before looking back at her. "I am sorry Abby, for everything I have done to you a-and to everyone. I could see everything happening but I couldn't stop it." He pleaded.

"You have nothing to apologize for Chester. No one can blame you for what Kid Rot did while controlling your body just like nobody can blame me when he controlled mine." Abby spoke softly.

Chester slammed his fists at the table, "YOU DIDN'T CREATE THE DAMN THING!" His glassy eyes radiated defiance and despair. It was his fault and no one would convince him otherwise.

Abby already knew that Chester felt guilty for Kid Rot's actions but it was first now she started to see how deep that guilt festered. She sat down in the chair opposite to him so she could meet him eye to eye. "You did a mistake Chester, everyone can make a mistake and you did it with the noblest of intensions."

Chester's expression went back to that sad, shy one he wore before but he didn't say anything. He just vented depressingly.

Abby decided to leave the topic. "Anyway, that was not what I wanted to talk about. Do you know why Kid Rot was so obsessed with me?"

The question hit Chester like a rock. He clenched his fists and gazed shamefully down at the floor. Everything Kid Rot had done disgusted him but that was nothing against the unapologetic shame he felt over persuading Abby. He felt like throwing up just thinking about it. Yes! He had fallen for this girl and just because of that, Kid Rot had turned her into a victim, a prey. Even if it hadn't been him that had terrorized her it sure felt like it. How dared he, how dared he? Abby was a kind, beautiful person that had brought out the most sacred of emotions from him and he had turned them into a depraved parody. For Chester it was like having his very humanity defiled.

He managed a tiny shake of the head. Abby could tell it wasn't genuine but as a teenager, susceptible to crushes she understood why he wouldn't tell her. "Kid Rot told me it was because you had a crush on me. Is that true?"

Chester's mouth was agape as he looked up at her again. _She knows? O, man what she must think of me now. I am the lowest form of pus on the planet. I am a terrible person. I wish I could just disappear. _Chester felt like he crumbled up and shrank like a dried up prone from the massive shame. He had no way of hiding or lying now.

"Yes." He whimpered. "Please Abby, try to understand. I was a lonely and pathetic geek. I never had anyone and then you showed up. You were kind to me and cared about my wellbeing. No one has ever done that for me before so of course I fell in love with you. I'm sorry." He sounded as if it had been a sin to have feelings for her. He looked down at the floor, unable to face her.

"Are you still in love with me?" She asked sincerely.

Chester managed to look up at her. She studied her facial features for a moment. Those big blue eyes that was like windows into her soul, sparkling with concern, kindness and an admirable bravery. Her long, bouncy hair that seemed to belong more on a fairy-tale figure than on a real person. Even her nose and lips had an almost magnetic traction to them. He wanted to say no but after everything she's been thru Abby did not deserve to be lied to. "Yes." He reluctantly admitted before looking down again.

Abby nervously rubbed her hand. She felt a massive amount of sympathy for Chester which made what she was about to say even more heart wrenching. "I-I am sorry Chester but I just don't feel the same way."

He was not surprised in the slightest, he didn't even had a reaction to it. He knew she didn't have any such feelings for him, how could anyone have feelings for him.

"I still wish to be friends thou."

This got more of a reaction.

He looked with disbelief at her, she wore an optimistic smile on her face. "What? You-you want to be my friend? After everything I did to you?"

"I don't blame you for anything you did Chester. I was possessed by Kid Rot for only a few hours and it was one of the most horrifying things I ever had to go thru, you were trapped there for years. I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for you, so I want to help. You start in Ty's and mine school on Tuesday, would you like us to show you the ropes?"

Chester sighed moody. "I don't know. It's been so long since I had a friend. I don't know if I would be a very good friend."

Abby smiled a little wider. "Well, I would want to be your friend and I am pretty sure Ty would like to be your friend as well. So, would you like to be our friend?"

"Of course but-

"Then we say so." Abby disrupted. She stood up and headed towards the door. "See you on Tuesday then."

"Okay." Chester responded with careful optimism. "Oh, and Abby…thank you for taking this so well. You're very kind to me."

"That's what friends are for." She waved her hand to him before closing the door. Once out of the room Abby rested her back against the wall and sighed in relief. "That was though." She lamented. She hated having to reject Chester since she knew how depressed he already was but it had to be done. She only hoped he wouldn't hate her for it.

A returning Ty walked up to her. "How are you doin?" He asked with a smirk that said _"stupid question, I know." _

Abby straightened herself and crossed her arms. "Fairly well, I think."

"I heard everything. Must have been a hard dissing." Ty said.

His sister narrowed her browse. "You know it's not very nice to eavesdrop."

"What should I have done? Let all that sweet surveillance tech go to waste?" Ty cooed nonchalantly. He then looked at Chester in the room. The blond geek was slummed over the table with his face buried in his arms. "Why didn't you return his feelings?"

"If you have to know I am just not into him." Abby spat.

Ty raised an eye-brow. "But you still want to hang out with him?"

Abby's expression turned solemn and her arms wrapped themselves around her body. This made Ty very concerned. "Ty, when Kid Rot possessed me it was like I was trapped inside my own body. I felt completely powerless yet completely involved in the things I-Kid Rot did. It-it was horrifying for me." She explained before looking at Chester thru the window. "Chester had to go thru the same thing for far longer. If there's one thing he needs in order to get better it's the support from people that cares about him."

Ty looked sympathetically at his sister, feeling a bit bad for teasing her earlier. He stepped closer and took her hand. "You know you will always have my support, right?"

Abby smiled. "I know."

**Author's Note: **

**This chapter actually turned out a lot better than I thought it would. As you can tell the coming chapters will work up to the Abby/Chester romance (we all know it's coming so it's not a spoiler). One minor difference from the show and this story is the role of the Detective. More than being a police detective he is also a form of middle man between the grossologists and the civilians. He kinda had the same job in the show but it was not explicitly mentioned. Plus, he is only known as The Detective just like The Director is only known as The Director. Coincidence? Speaking of the Director, I hope I portrayed him right for all the fans, because to be honest he is one of only three characters from the show that I just did not like (the others being Paige and Frederick Follicle and I might mention why in another author's note). I just don't understand WHY The Director is Ty and Abby's boss. He seem completely incompetent at his work, freaks out over the tiniest little setback and doesn't even seem able to handle his much younger employers. I guess the show had him be a comic relief character but could they not have made him both funny AND competent? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. **

**Your reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	11. Chester's Rotten Day

**Chapter 11: Chester's Rotten Day**

The air was thick with fog, only slightly illuminated by the grey daybreak sky. Chester did not know why he walked thru it, he just knew he couldn't turn back so he continued forward. His feets sank inches into the wet soil every steep he took. The fog soon cleared in front of him.

He stared out at a dark lake, surrounded by dead trees and filled with rotting fish carcasses that layered the surface and littered the lakeside. Chester took dreadfully in the sight, his mouth was agape and his brows arched. The stench of death and the eerie silence could drive a man insane.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

Chester flinched and turned to the voice's owner. There, sitting on a fallen tree, overlooking the lake was Kid Rot. He shot Chester a smile that was both pleasant and uncomfortable.

"This is what we always wanted." He said almost dreamily.

Chester took a shaky step back. "No, NO! This is not what I wanted. Everything is dead and polluted. It-it's awful." He replied.

Kid Rot's lips curved into a disappointed scowl. He had always looked at Chester with rage or sadistic delight so seeing him genuinely disappointed surprised the boy. He turned back to looking at the lake.

"Sad, you were the one that created it."

Chester blinked, he didn't understand what the parasite meant but he didn't question it. Something caused him to turn to his right. There, a stone's throw away was a horde of people wandering over the dark swampland. "Who are they?" Chester asked.

Kid Rot jumped of the fallen tree and walked up to him. "They are people whose lives been touched by you." He hissed before snickering. "…Or by my hands."

Chester looked away from the people, hesitant to act on his impulses but then ran towards them.

Kid Rot smirked before cupping his mouth. "I don't think they'll be happy to see you!" He called out to his old host before giggling.

Chester ignored the words from his former tormentor. Once close enough to the people to see them clearly he stopped in his tracks. These humans were sick. Their skin had a tint of green to them. Their eyes were vacuous, reflecting nothing but total surrender to fatalism. Was this his doing? Assembling some courage Chester walked up to the closest person, an adult completely draped in a cloak so he could not discern any identity. He tugged in the taller person's sleeve. "Ex-excuse me, do-do you need any help?" He whimpered.

The large adult jerked away his arm before whamming it against Chester's chest. The boy fell to the muddy ground, landing on his butt and looked in dismay at the person who had struck him. He or she didn't even look at him, the adult simple continued walking.

Once the horde of people had passed him Chester saw two other bodies crawling thru the mud a bit further down the lakeside. He recognized them as Ty and Abby. "ABBY! TY!" He shouted and ran towards them. He reached Ty first since he was closest. The gross nerd was crawling on his stomach thru the dark mud, barely able to keep his head up. Abby was a little bit better off since she was still able to crawl on her hands and knees but both looked almost as sick as the people he saw before. "Oh Ty, I am so sorry for this. Come on, let me help." Chester said worried and bowed down to help but Ty swatted him away.

"No! You're dangerous. Stay away from us." Ty exclaimed spitefully and Chester took a step back in confusion. Ty then started inexplicably to sink into the mud. Soon the only thing that remained was Ty's horrified face but eventually even it disappeared under the mud.

Chester was too petrified with fear to say or do anything but someone screamed. It was Abby. "TY! NO!" the girl started crying at the loss of her brother. Snapped out of his state by Abby's crying, Chester got on his knees and started digging with his hands thru the mud but he couldn't find him. There was no trace of Ty's clothes or body. Chester didn't stop until he was completely exhausted.

He looked at Abby who was still crying. He walked up to her and bent down, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I am sorry Abby." He said sadden.

Abby violently pushed him away. "Get away from me!" Her voice was dripping with both tears and venom. **"I HATE YOU! YOU'RE THE WORST THING TO EVER HAPPEN TO ME!" **Chester stumbled back, mortified over what she had just said to him. Abby furrowed her brows in hatred. Her skin then turned darkly grey and her irises turned fiery red. She now looked like she did when Kid Rot possessed her.

She ran up to him and elbowed him as hard as she could, shattering his collarbone and sending him to the ground. She then pinned his chest with her knee and grabbed his throat with both hands. "Don't you understand? Everything would be better if you didn't exist…" She then squeezed his windpipe and started to press his head down into the mud. "…so just disappear." Abby hissed sadistically.

Chester looked up at his dream girl that was now was trying to kill him. He had done this to her. He had turned her into a monster and now she detested him enough to do something about it.

His eyes started leaking from both physical and mental pain as he tried to gasp for air. She pushed him deeper into the mud. His eyesight was soon eclipsed by the dark sludge as his head completely disappeared under the dirt with Abby's hand still clutching his throat but it didn't stop the mud from pouring into his mouth.

He was blind and fastly suffocating.

* * *

Chester woke up with a gasp, sitting in his bed so fast one could think he would get whiplash. He was back in his room in the orphanage that he had spent most of his time for the last two days. Even thou it was currently covered in nightly darkness one could tell it was a rather small room with two bunk beds, each on either side of the chamber. Chester had had to share this room with three much younger boys.

He looked to the other side of the room. The boy in the lower bunk bed stared horrified at Chester, his back pressed up so closely against the wall that one might have thought he was trying to ghost thru it while the boy in the higher bunk was pretty much petrified with fear as he lied on his side, staring wide eyed at him.

Chester realized he must have been talking in his sleep. He looked up at the bunk above him, imagine how scared his bunkmate must be, being the closest and hearing everything. He then looked back at the other two boys.

"I'm sorry." He apologized in a sad tone. He then laid down with his back facing the others. He covered himself with the sheets so that only his mournful face was visible.

In his life before Kid Rot Chester got used to people feeling contempt, disgust or at best indifference towards him. Now he also had to get used to people feeling scared around him.

* * *

The next morning Chester stood outside the orphanage along with another teen, both waiting for the bus to school. Even after only two days Chester could tell that the orphanage wasn't a place he could fit in. Most of the other orphans there were between 7-14 years old, too young to want to socialize with him and the ones that was around his age were all angry and cold hearted lawbreakers that didn't like geeks like him, like the guy that was standing next to him now.

Chester was not used to be the one to start a conversation nor was he all that interested in talking to this raven haired punk. The other guy seemed annoyed just being near Chester so both just stood there in awkward silence until the bus arrived. Chester got on after the other boy and started eyeing for an empty spot to sit.

"Chester!" He looked to where the female voice had come from and saw Abby. To his pleasure she as well as Ty that sat next to her was smiling at him. It made him smile a bit as well. He approached the Grossologist siblings and sat down on a seat behind them.

"Hey guys." He greeted, trying to sound optimistic.

Ty turned to face him. "So, ready for your first day in school?"

"Like cholera." Chester mumbled quietly to himself.

"Huh?" Ty said.

"Um, I mean, this isn't my first day at Ringworm High. I used to go there once, remember?" Chester stated innocently.

Even thou Ty noted that Chester didn't answer his question he let it slide. He knew how nervous people could be over starting (or in this case re-starting) a new school. He also understood that must be even harder for someone that's gone thru so much as Chester had.

Ty smiled and placed an arm on the backrest. "Right." He replied. "Anyway, I am ready to make good on my promise to you. I will introduce you to some of my friends."

"Oh." Chester vented doubtfully. He then gazed down and started nervously to squeeze his fingers. "Um, about that Ty…it's okay if you don't do that."

Ty looked puzzled. Wasn't Chester's big dream to finally have some friends? Maybe he was nervous about meeting new people. "You'll be fine." Ty exclaimed nonchalantly yet upbeat. "My friends are all cool and I am sure they will all like you."

Chester flinched upon hearing that. '_Like me? Is that possible? Maybe I can-No! Last time I tried to make friends horrible things happened.'_

Abby seemed to pick up on Chester's doubtfulness. She turned to him with a comforting smile. "It'll be okay Chester, Ty's friends are only half as annoying as he is."

Ty deadpanned. "That was so funny I forgot to laugh."

Abby laughed. "Trust me Chester, It will go well and Ty &amp; I will be right next to you." She said optimistically.

Chester couldn't help but feel like his feelings for Abby heighten his spirit a bit. Her laughter was intoxicating. "Okay." He nodded.

* * *

The trio walked into Ringworm High that was already teeming with students. When they walked thru the corridor Abby stopped startled in front of a billboard. Last week Abby had put up a flyer for the midnight showing at the public planthouse. Now, there was another flyer that had been nailed with staples over hers.

On the flyer it read _WELCOME TO PAIGE LOGAN'S OPEN-HOUSE PARTY _as well as information about time and location and an anime version of Paige's face winking.

"Urgh, I can't freaking believe this." Abby lamented before turning to the two boys. "You two stay here." She said and ran off.

Chester took a closer look at the flyer. "Who is Paige Logan?"

"Um…" Ty tried to find the appropriate words to describe the rich fashion queen without sounding to insulting. "She is like…Abby's archenemy."

Chester raised an eyebrow. "I thought Insectiva was Abby's archenemy."

"Only professionally."

"Jeez, for being such a nice girl Abby sure do have a lot of enemies." Chester pointed out.

Abby returned with another flyer. She took a nail from the billboard and attached it next to Paige's. Abby sighed reluctantly with her fists on her hips. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere came Paige with her friends walked up to them.

"Um, excuse me but what are you doing?" Paige asked spitefully, pointing at Abby's flyer.

"Uh, a flyer advertising the planthouse midnight showing." Abby sarcastically replied.

"Why is it covering my pamphlet?" Paige pointed her finger again.

Abby looked at the billboard before looking back at her rival. "It only covers like a fifth of your paper Paige. It doesn't even conceal any of the text."

Ty whispered to Chester. "I wish it concealed that ugly anime-mug of hers."

Chester chuckled a bit. That got the attention of Paige. She eyed him distastefully. "Have I seen you before?"

The shy boy stiffen from nervousness. "Um yah, I was here two years ago. You asked me to manage your compost drive."

"Riight." Paige grimaced. "You still dress like a scarecrow?" She pointed out, finding this as of a good opportunity as any to tease a less popular student.

Chester looked down on himself. "Wha-what's wrong with the way I dress." He tried to add a bit of bite to his question but just come off as meek.

Paige smirked a smile so sinister even Insectiva would get jealous. "You kidding right? Why are you wearing fingerless gloves, do you think they make you look cool or something?"

Chester examined his hands. "Um, no. I wear them for gardening purposes. They allow me to handle plants without-

"Eeew, gardening? Like digging in the dirt and stuff?" Paige interrupted. "Still, I guess I shouldn't have thought any different since you have that-

"Can you shut-it!" Abby sternly shouted, silencing the snobbish girl. "Don't you girls have anything better to do than pick on people…like say, putting your heads in a car compactor?" Her voice dripping with sarcasm and venom.

Paige rolled her eyes. "Jeez Abby, you actually hang with this emo wannabe? As if hanging with your brother doesn't make you lame enough." She started laughing and her friends followed her example before all three walked away.

Abby noticed Chester rubbing his arm while looking down at the floor. She sighed. "Don't take it personally Chester, Paige is that way with everyone but not everybody in this school is as mean as her."

Chester looked up at her with a shy smile. "I know. I didn't let her get to me."

Abby could see the sadness in his eyes so she knew he was lying. She expected Paige to treat Chester that way but it still upset her. _'That damn Paige. If I ever found her dead I will draw an upside down cross on her body so I am sure she'll burn in hell!"_

Ty looked sympathetically at Chester. He was not the only friend of his to be victimized by Paige and her pose. He then smiled when he saw Naomi walking down the corridor. "Hey, there is one of those much nicer people." He exclaimed and pointed at the gentle girl.

He ran up to her. "Hey Naomi!"

Naomi turned around to see him. "Hey Ty." She greeted pleasantly.

"Oboy, Have I missed you." He sighed blissfully.

Naomi's expression was somewhere between happy and puzzled. "Really?"

Ty blushed, realizing how weird that must have sounded. It had really only been a few days since he last saw her (she was sick yesterday) but after a weekend of being buried alive, poisoned and being forced to work with a criminally insane woman Naomi's friendly face was such a wondrous sight.

Chester and Abby cached up to him and Ty found a way to redirect the awkward tension. "Oh, there's someone I want you to meet." He exclaimed and stepped aside to make room for Chester.

Naomi smiled warmly at the new boy and extended a hand to him. "Hey. I am Naomi."

Chester nervously reached after her hand but then withdrawed. _'What if I touch her and she start to rot? What if she gets sick or worse?' _He was so scared he could hardly breathe.

Abby placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, she don't bite." She beamed him a friendly smile.

Encouraged by her words and comforted by her touch Chester took Naomi's hand and gave it gentle shake. "So-sorry. I am Chester, nice to meet you."

Naomi lowered her head while still keeping eye contact with the blond boy and leaned back a bit, a bit skived over his behavior and worried she was the one to make her nervous. "Nice to meet you to Chester."

Chester scratched his neck, knowing he botched up his attempt at a good first impression. Noticing the awkwardness Abby grabbed his arm and led him away. "Come on Chester, we need to get to the principle to get your schedule before class starts." She said as the two older teens walked off.

Ty looked after them but stayed by Naomi.

"I don't think he likes me very much." Naomi stated regretfully.

"What, No! He is just very shy since he never had any friends before, that's all. I am sure he warms up to you soon." Ty exclaimed, trying both to protect her feelings and save Chester's face.

Naomi believed what he said but still felt a bit uneasy. She then looked at Abby and Chester as they walked down the hallway, taking notice to how close they walked. "Abby seem to like him."

"You noticed that too uh." Ty said with a smile. "I thought it was just me."

* * *

After they got Chester's schedule from the principal's office they were distraught to find out that Chester only shared two classes with Abby, that being math and history. Abby apologized profoundly for giving him promises she couldn't keep but still promised they could hang out in-between classes. Chester was used being the one apologizing and felt rather humbled over Abby's concern for him. Then they headed for math class, the only of the two classes they shared today.

During math class all students did assignments in their math books. Like with science, match came incredible easy to Chester. This was mostly thou to his spotless memory and analytical mind. Because of this math became rather effortless. He really only needed to put half his mind to work with each number problem.

His eyesight wandered to Abby that sat a few desks further down the row. At first he only looked because he was curious if Abby was good at math. Not surprising she seemed to be doing really well, not clenching her temples in frustration or looking dumbfounded at the numbers as if they were creatures from the 5th dimension like some of the students did. She just calmly wrote in her book, only paused on occasion to think over something. Then Chester started to note her physical features, especially her perky cheeks and half-closed blue eyes. With her shoulders arching over the desk her extremely long ponytail was curved in a bow shape.

Realizing he was staring at her Chester shaked his head and returned looking at the book. _'She doesn't like you you moron so staring at her like a stalker won't help any, cretin!"_

* * *

After math class Abby and Chester had to go their separate ways. Once out of class Abby said. "I need to go to science class now. Are you sure you will do good by yourself?"

"I have been able to take care for myself of most of my life, I don't need a babysitter." He snapped but soon realized what he had just said and felt incredible guilty. "Oh, I am sorry. I didn't mean to sound angry." He sounded very apologetic.

"It's okay. I'll see you later." Abby said without scorn and walked away.

Chester looked as she walked off, pondering if Abby actually wanted to meet him later or if keeping a watchful eye on him was an assignment given to her by the bureau. That would make more sense. A third alternative was that she was just being nice because she was a sweet person. He liked that theory better.

When he turned around Chester came face to face with a boy he had never seen before. He was a holotype ginger. His hair and freckles was brightly red and his skin was naturally pale. His most striking feature however was his right eye. It was swollen, the conjunctiva was red and the eyelids was covered with yellow mucus. A definite sign of conjunctivitis. He was somewhat shorter than Chester and his body was thin and sort of crocked. He had a gleeful smile which Chester assumed was supposed to look friendly but just come off as creepy.

The ginger stared at him and then tilted his head to look after Abby further down the hallway before redirecting his sight to Chester. "Friend of Abby &amp; Ty Archer, eh?" He finally asked.

Chester flinched at finally hearing the boy talk. "Uh…yeah, yes, I guess so." Chester smiled absentmindedly. Even thou still being a bit confused over his current status with the Archer siblings he was glad to be able to call someone his friends without totally lying.

He extended a hand to this new teen. "I am Chester, Chester Humus."

The ginger took his hand. "I am Rodger but most people call me Roger Pink-Eye or just Pink-Eye because of my…" He points to his eye and giggled, "…complexion. I am also a friend of theirs."

"Really?" Chester rhetorically asked with a pleasant smile.

"Yes." Rodger took a step closer and moved his face uncomfortable close to Chester's. "Say, have they told you any ssecretss?" Pink-Eye sounded like a serpent from Eden.

Chester raised a confused eyebrow. "Secrets?"

"Yes, secrets. You see those two keep disappearing quite often and no one seems to know what they do. So, do you know?" This time the ginger sounded like a character from an interactive mystery show.

Chester got really nervous now. Keeping Ty &amp; Abby's identities secret was the first and most important requirement from the bureau to be free from prison and stay in Ringworm.

"No. I haven't known them for that long so cant possible know more than you." Chester answered in a rushed matter-of-fact tone.

Rodger took out a small bottle of eye drop from his pants pocket. He tilted his head back and drippled a few drops into his right eye. Blinking a few time to make it gleet, the mucus daub between the two eyelids. "Yeah, but I have a theory of what they are up to."

"Okay." Chester said, not sure if he wanted to hear more.

"Yess," He once again pulled out on the S, "I think…" He looked around to make sure no one else heard. "…they are Grossologists."

Chester's legs practically vibrated from getting so tense. This guy, this Pink-eye had somehow figured it all out. How much did he know? Chester still kept a cool head about it. He needed to find a cohesive counterargument.

"Doesn't that sound a bit far-fetched?" He finally said after a moment of silence. "I mean don't you think a secret crime response bureau would hire experienced adults rather than teenagers that still goes to high school?"

Rodger clutched his chin and pondered over this argument. "I guess…that make sense."

"I need to go now or else I'll be late for class." Chester said, still nervous and walked past the ginger.

Pink-Eye waved his hand to him. "See you later." He stroked of some slime from his eyelid with his index and flicked it to the floor.

As Chester walked thru the corridors of Ringworm High he got an unpleasant yet familiar feeling. He remembered the last time he was here and how incredible hostile everyone was to him but this time he didn't have his powers. As much as he hated hurting people having the ability to rot anything at will gave him a defense against those who wished him harm. Feeling vulnerable Chester acted accordingly.

He lowered his chin to below his shoulders and let his hair cover most of his face. Showing submission minimized the risk to provoke anyone that could be mean to him. Hiding his face also made him impersonal to everyone else so they wouldn't look at him. Once reaching the classroom he found that it wasn't open yet so several students waiting by the door. He found a dark corner and rested his back against its wall.

* * *

At lunch Chester got another feeling of Deja-vu. As he looked over the cafeteria with his lunch tray in hand he started to remember how he used to eat at school. Usually he would sit down at the emptiest table he could found and hope the cafeteria wouldn't be so crowded that people would have to sit next to him.

"Hey Chester!" He saw Ty waving to him from a table, motioning him over.

When Chester got closer to Ty's table he noticed that there was somebody already sitting next to him. He was a brunette boy, probably in Ty's age. He was short and clearly over weight. His half shut eyes was covered by thick glasses and he had a clear overbite.

"Hey Chester, I want you to meet my best friend Andy." Ty gladly exclaimed.

Andy lifted up a palm in greeting. "Hey, nice meeting ya."

"Um, nice meeting you to." Chester said and sat down across from this new person.

Ty turned to Andy. "Hey, guess what? Chester is a scientist too."

The plump boy looked at Chester. "Really? What kind of science?" He sounded glad.

Chester scratched the back of his head. "Uh, many kinds but mostly microbiology?"

"That's cool. Personally I am mostly into physiology. I recently finished a papier-mâché project of the human skeleton." Andy stated.

"Really?" Chester exclaimed, both perplexed and happy. "As a school project?"

Andy laughed a bit. The laugh was half nervous half goodheartedly. "Nope. I did it just for fun."

His answer made Chester even more intrigued about Andy. He seemed nice and just like him he was scientifically interested to an almost awkward degree. Plus, if he was Ty's best friend he must be a cool person.

As the conversation at lunch continued Chester's optimism quickly faded. For some reason he couldn't help but feel like there was a wall between him and the other two and he couldn't figure out why. He was pretty sure it wasn't Andy. He didn't give of any bad vibes and so far he hadn't given Chester any reason to dislike him. Ty seemed to act the same as always so he was pretty sure he wasn't the reason for this figurative wall.

Ty and Andy talked mostly between themselves, only asking Chester once or twice about his opinion. He wanted to speak up but Ty's &amp; Andy's banter seemed like something that had been forged thru years and he didn't seem to have any place to step in.

'_Sigh, is there something wrong with me?'_

As for eating the lunch, it wasn't the easiest either. That the food tasted disgusting didn't help much (which Ty pointed out was normal) but the real problem was that after a few bites Chester got a severe stomachache. He theorized that it was because his digestive system was not yet used to process solid food.

* * *

Gym class was the last class of the day. Chester was in the boy's locker room, getting dressed. He took off his shirt, folded it and stuffed it in his looker.

"Aw dude, I can see your ribs."

Chester turned to see a much taller, raven haired boy staring at him. His face were somewhere between disgusted and amused.

He got closer and smirked deviously. "Do you have that girl disease that makes them starve themselves? Um, anorexia?"

Chester's mind raced from nervousness. Hostility just radiated from this guy. Too scared to think up an apropos response Chester said the first thing he could think on. "Anorexia is not a disease, it's a mental condition and I don't-

He flinched when someone from behind poked him in the ribs. Spinning around he saw it was another tall guy. This one was a brunette and a bit huskier than the other.

"Aw, I touched it. It really is bone." He stated with an amused smirk.

"Don't do that." Chester exclaimed.

The first guy then pinched Chester in another one of his ribs. It actually hurt a bit.

"Stop doing that you idiot!" the scrawny blond spat aggressively. The tall brunette frowned, clearly not liking being insulted. He pushed Chester with one hand. He almost fell over but managed to balance himself.

"He is so scrawny he can't even stand." The bully chuckled. The other one pushed Chester too and this time Chester fell against the locker.

A third guy stepped forth. "Geez, he even looks like a chick. You know girls are not allowed in the boy's locker room." He mocked.

"LEAVE ME ALONE OR I'LL-I…" Chester's threat failed when he couldn't find the right words. His eyes was on the brim of tears and his body filled with pure id.

"You do what?" The brunette cooed as he and his friends surrounded Chester and forced him up a locker door.

Chester scowled and furrowed his brows. Vivid images of surprising this guy outside and stomping his head in until his skull was nothing but a bloody blot.

"Are you going to answer him?" The huskier one asked mockingly.

Chester's left mouth corner tucked upwards a bit, imaging all the painful things he could do to this guy…if he still had his powers. He could turn his flesh obsidian, turn his blood into a vine colored gunk or wither his bones until they were as fragile as crispbread but he wasn't Kid Rot anymore, he was just Chester. Weak little Chester that couldn't do anything.

"I thought you wouldn't do anything." The tall brunette said as he and the others walked back to their respective lockers. "You shouldn't insult people."

Chester stood there, stewing in his own rage. Every muscle he had tensed. Feeling the need to outrun everyone's sight he headed towards the bathroom.

"Are you gonna take a dump?" Someone catcalled.

Chester clenched his jaw in anger. "There are enough turds around here already." He snapped back and closed the door behind him. He knew he couldn't stay in the bathroom for too long, his absence would attract the attention of the teacher and attention was the last thing Chester wanted.

He turned on the sink tap for no other reason than to think on something else. After a few seconds he put his hands under the water and before bring them to his face. He forcefully rubbed the water in his face. Once he removed his hands from his face he saw his face in the mirror over the sink. He took a moment to look at himself. Girls used to call him weird or ugly when he was younger and he started to see their point. His girly dirty-blonde hair that masked half his face, his buggy sunken-in eyes, his unspecified skin color was all unattractive features but those things were nothing against how unbelievable skinny he was. He was basically just a skeleton draped in skin.

He started to fear that his body had lost all ability to absorb enough nutrients to build any muscles or fat layer. He knew it happened to shipwrecked sailors by reading history books. Still, his appearance was the least of his worries.

He sat down on the toilet seat and rested his arms in his lap. He recounted the thoughts, the fantasies he had when those bullies confronted him. He had really wanted to hurt those guys. Not in self-defense as he had claimed to Abby &amp; Ty the first day they meet. No, he wanted to fatally wound them. Why?

He pulled up his feets up onto the toilet seat and wrapped his arms around his knees. His eyes became even more watery. Was this who he really was? A cowardly little monster that wished to harm people but was too weak to do it? This just confirmed what Chester had always thought about himself.

'_Whether I call myself Chester or Kid Rot I am still a monster. I am no better than him, just weaker."_

* * *

Chester's school day finally ended.

With a slight sense of relief Chester stepped onto the school bus. He saw Ty sitting next to that ginger Rodger Pink-Eye, having a heated discussion. He didn't seem to notice him so he just walked past the gross nerd. Abby sat quietly on a seat behind her brother. The seat next to her was empty. Chester looked questioningly at her, wanting to sit on the empty seat but was unsure if she wanted him near.

Abby saw him and got a bit confused to why he was staring. He broke his gaze and looked further down the bus. He seemed incredible doubtful. Abby finally realized he wanted to sit next to her but was too nervous to take the seat.

"You can sit here if you want." Abby said and Chester nervously sat down next to her. "So, how was your first day?" She asked.

Chester nervously squeezed his hand. Despite the few positives like spending some more time with the Archers, returning to studying and meeting Andy his day had mostly been awful but he didn't want Abby to pity him.

"It was alright." He tried to sound genuinely satisfied but his forced smile couldn't fool Abby.

She sighed and looked out the window. "It's okay. First day is always the worst, it will probably get better."

In that moment there was nothing Chester wanted more than to lean forward to rest his head against Abby's shoulder. Maybe for her to gently stroke him, to comfort him but he knew he couldn't.

His relationship with Abby was not like a normal crush. When he was near her he felt better, he felt more comfortable than he did anywhere else but he knew that if he got too close to her she would feel uncomfortable and start hating him. He felt like a stray dog that had to beg for people's compassion. It made him feel worthless.

'_After what you've done you should be glad she even allows you to be near her, freak.'_

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**It took me so long to write this chapter but hopefully it was worth the wait. At first I was going to title this **_**School of Rot **_**(as a play on Jack Black's **_**School of Rock) **_**but as I wrote this I realized what a rotten day Chester have and so the equally embarrassing title was born. **

**I really hope Chester don't come off as to weak in this. Sure he is a victim of bullying but he is so much more. **

**I love Andy. I don't understand why not more people use him in their fanfics, he is awesome. If it wasn't for Chester I would totally ship him with Abby. **

**Once again, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**

**Your reviews are very important to me. **


	12. Living with a Crush

**Chapter 12: Living with a Crush**

"Are you still in love with me?" Abby asked sincerely.

Chester shuddered but managed to look up at her. "Yes." He reluctantly admitted.

They were back in the Grossologist interrogation room. The two sat opposing to one another, across the table.

Abby smiled wider than she ever had before. "I love you too." She happily confessed.

The scared boy slowly looked up at her again. "Wha-what?" He was so stunned by disbelief that his mouth remained agape.

"I love you." She repeated and slowly rose from her chair, leaned over the table and catched his lips with her own.

* * *

That was of course not how it really happened but it was the way Chester imagined it in his mind's eye as he laid on his bed at night.

He thought about Abby a lot nowadays. He thought about how her hand would feel like if he could hold it, how her body would feel like if he was allowed to hold her in his arms and he wondered how her lips would feel if he kissed her.

"_She is nice to me."_

Just thinking those words made his heart flutter.

"_She is nice to me."_

So few people in his life had ever been nice to him. Most girls he meet just sneered at him, like his mere presence was a pain but not Abby. She talked to him and listened to what he had to say. Abby wasn't just incredible beautiful, she also had an admirable personality. She was nice, smart, brave, caring and actually accepted him despite his obvious flaws. She wasn't perfect but even her flaws seemed to complete her.

Yes, he thought about everything Abby quit a lot even if it always came with the same bitter realization that he could never have her. She was too good for him. She was the kind of person that made other people feel good. The only emotion he seemed to inspire in people was disgust. Besides there was no chance she would ever see him as anything else but that poor guy that used to be Kid Rot anyway.

Chester sometimes argued with himself, reasoned that he should stop thinking about her but between being bullied at school, isolated at the orphanage and the horrible memories of his past his fantasies about her was one of the few things that brought him happiness. He reasoned he would get over her one day and Abby would find someone that deserved her and could make her happy.

Everything in Chester's life wasn't bad thou. Project Ernutet had been picked up by scientists in universities and institutes around the world. It had become the greatest scientific elaboration since the human-genome project. Everyone involved tried to perfect and test the formula in their own unique way. These scientist felt a lot in debt to Chester so when they heard about his situation they sent him a part of their income to the poor boy, but if you thought Chester was rolling in dough you would be sadly mistaken. Most of his money went to pay for all the damage Kid Rot had done. While most of the things he had destroyed was covered by the state the things that wasn't still added up to a pretty hefty sum. Ty and Abby thought it was unfair that Chester had to pay for the things Kid Rot destroyed but the money needed to come from somewhere and Chester was happy as long as he didn't have to go to jail. The Grossologists had given him a cellphone so they could contact him if they had too. They would not allow him to disappear out of sight. He was also allowed into the Gaglab as long as he was supervised.

When not in school Chester mostly did homework. He had two years of school to catch up with. At first the principle wanted him to redo eleventh grade but Chester insisted he could do it. Thanks to his genius intellect Chester handled all the extra homework with relative ease. Only the amount of it seemed to prompt a problem.

Socially he was doing better than he ever had before. Even thou he was still being bullied and feeling a bit left out he was grateful for the small friendly moment he had with the Archer siblings and Andy.

If only he could keep his emotions for Abby under control.

* * *

Ty, Abby and Chester walked thru the school corridor. It had been a bit over a week now since Chester had reentered Ringworm High. He felt the sight of the three of them resembled that of their first day together. Despite everything horrible that eventually happened that day, the memories still held a special place in the blonde boy's heart. It had been the first time he had ever mingled with people that shared his interests. Now however, it existed a rift between them and that rift was named Kid Rot. It was hard for Chester to see the Archers without thinking on all the times he had tried to hurt them. He also wondered if they thought the same. Still, any smile from Abby or shared joke from Ty made all uneasiness worth it.

The trio stopped in their tracks when they saw a large crowd of girls gathered in a half circle by a wall. They were all chatting &amp; giggling. They all seemed rather excited about something.

"What are they all so heated about?" Ty asked.

"I don't know." Abby replied curiously before advancing towards the mass of girls.

'_Maybe the vulture flock found something outdated to stick their beaks in.' _Chester thought jokingly to himself.

Abby struggled thru the thick crowd of people. "Excuse me…Coming thru…Sorry…Ugh." Getting thru the hedge of female students Abby's discovery was disappointing to say the least. She stared at a large poster with the title _Ringworm's Beauty Tournament._

"A beauty pageant! Seriously?" Abby lamented. Even thou Abby rarely judged anyone for liking anything, a beauty pageants for teenage girls just made her gut clench. She found the entire exercise of it to be vain and demeaning. Wasn't it enough for a high school girls to be judged by their appearance everywhere else.

"7. 6. 5. 4." Ty counted while checking his wristwatch.

"Um, why are you counting down?" Chester asked with a raised eyebrow.

"…and 1." Ty finished.

"Hey Abby!" A high-pitched voice cut thru the air like a stabbing knife. Abby grunted before she even saw its owner. Turning around she meet Paige and her pose. She was holding a stack of permission slips in her arms. Abby rolled her eyes and kept down a sigh, mentally preparing herself for another figurative cock-fight with her old nemesis.

Chester turned back to Ty. "How did you know?"

"Abby &amp; Paige bicker so often that I set my clock after them." Ty giggled and showed him his digital watch.

"I assume you are participating, Paige." Abby spat with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyes sharp.

"Sadly no. I am judging the pageant." The popular girl happily exclaimed.

"Seriously?" Abby sighed tiresomely. Paige always picked on people for how they dressed or how they generally looked and now she was going to judge them as they offered themselves up like sheep to the slaughter. Abby wondered if even Lance Boil could come up with a plan this nefarious.

"Yeah, my mom sponsors the entire thing." Paige grinned before turning to the other girls. "It's going to be huge. There will be eighteen competitors in total and Granit McChin will be co-judge." She explained and some of the girls shrieked in enthusiasm.

Ty and Chester waited quietly for Abby to return when a heavy-set raven hair jock came up from behind and ruffled Chester's hair. "I think you should enter. You are as ugly as they come but you look more like a girl than anything." He laughed bemused and walked away.

Chester's face turned into a furious scowl that exposed his teethes but it soon faded into a sad whimper. He gave a depressed sigh and looked to the floor.

Ty frowned annoyed. Clearly crossed over the mistreatment of his friend. "Just forget him." He said but it didn't help, Chester was still upset. He had grown accustomed to people treating him like this but he still felt a sting of humiliation and sadness whenever it happened. He wished he was more like Abby that for some reason always was capable of standing up for herself. Then again, Abby was stronger than him.

Abby listened annoyed as Paige answered the other girl's questions about the pageant. The grossologist rolled her eyes. "Aw come on, was there really a big enough demand for something like this?"

Paige turned to her longtime rival with a poisonous glare. It then soften to an ironic smile. "Actually yes. I already gotten sooo many applications from devoted mothers that would looove to give their beautiful girls a chance to win this." The flickered thru the applications, pretending to look at them. "Hu, but no Archer. You should definitely apply Abby, you would be perfect as competition fodder."

"What is that suppose to mean?" Abby snarled with an arched eyebrow.

"Aw come on Abby, we both know you're not exactly model of the year material." Paige replied. "I mean you dress like a little kid, you dig around in the dirt, half of all the time you stink like a garbage truck and the only guys I can ever remember hitting on you are freaks &amp; geeks."

Abby tried to interrupt but Paige just came coming with more harsh insults. Even thou Abby did like the way she looked and for the most part a very confident person not even she was a 100% immune to Paige's verbal abuse.

She was however not the only one feeling the pressure. Chester, already loaded with negative feelings clenched his fists and jaw. Being harassed was hurtful but he had gotten used to it but what he hadn't gotten used to was seeing the ones he cared for getting mistreated. Hearing all those horrible lies about the girl he treasured more than anything set his pent-up rage into overdrive.

"SHUT-UP! ABBY IS MUCH MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN YOU CAN EVER BE!"

Abby and Paige, as well as everyone else in the hallway turned their attention towards Chester. Their gazes, disturbed and surprised. The scrawny blonde was panting violently and his eyebrows furrowed but once he realized everyone was staring he felt like he was shrinking to the size of an ant. He felt so humiliated, so vulnerable.

He took a weary step back before turning around and ran away. His eyes watery from tears.

After the initial surprise, Paige smirked and laughed full heartedly. "See. That proves my point perfectly."

"Shut up Paige!" Abby snapped.

Paige turned to the red head. She leaned in closer with an angry scowl. "What are you going to do? Run after him?"

"Maybe I will!" Abby almost shouted in anger and walked after Chester.

"Yeah, you do that. You two fit together like my mother's white gloves!" Paige shouted condescendingly as Abby made her way down the hallway.

* * *

She found Chester were she thought she'll find him, sitting in the school garden with his back slumped against the wall as he forced himself to breath calmly.

"Chester?" She said softly.

He looked up at her with mournful eyes. He gulped. "Abby. I am so sorry for embarrassing you back there."

"Oh, it's okay." Abby responded somewhat shyly.

"It's just that, well, you know how I feel about you and sometimes it-it's hard to control my emotions." Chester exclaimed half sobbing.

"Oh…" Abby felt awful. She wished she could help him, maybe even return his feelings but in the end she could just repeat what she had already told him. "Chester, you know I don't feel the same but I will always be your friend."

"I know. You and Ty are the best friends I could have asked for." Chester exclaimed. "You are so great for putting up with me."

Abby flinched in surprise. "Is that what you think? That we hang out with you just because we tolerate you?"

"Of course, what other reason is there?" Chester asked in a sad tone.

"Chester, we are your friends because we like you and we like being around you. Ever since you came back you have been nothing but a model friend."

Chester smiled. "Really?"

Abby nodded. "Really."

A crimson blush tainted Chester's cheeks and his smile grew twice as wide. He coyly looked to the ground. "You know, you are not making it easy for me."

Abby raised a puzzled eyebrow. "What do you mean _not making it easy for you_?"

Chester looked up at her with a smile that was both mischievous and shy. "…For me not to love you."

Abby looked absolutely shocked. Her body stiffen and a red blush covered her face. She felt immensely flattered but also very humbled from being complimented by her sweet and admittedly cute friend. She almost regretted rejecting him. **Almost. **She averted her gaze, trying to hide her blush.

Chester thought he had offended her. He immediately felt guilty. "O I am sorry Abby. I know I must be making things hard for you but I am genuinely happy to have you as a friend. I promise I will be more careful with-

"No, no Chester it's alright." Abby reassured.

"You are not actually going to compete in the pageant, right?" Chester asked, trying to redirect their conversation.

"No."

"Good." He nodded and stood up. "Cause you have nothing to prove to anyone." He then smacked his forehead. "Was I being to flirty again?"

"No, no. I liked it, I mean its fine." Abby said, finding herself more nervous than usual around the guy that for the last week had become one of her best friends.

"Alright. Come on or we will be late for history class." He said and started walking. It took Abby a second to react due to her confused state but she soon followed Chester.

"Did you know that in some states they have beauty pageants for insects but instead of the prettiest, it is the ugliest bug that wins?" Chester said.

"Aw, but they are so cute." Abby cooed.

"I don't know about that but flour beetles and bed bugs looks really cool thru an electronic microscope. Did you know that flour beetles can resist a higher dose of radiation than all other insects in the world?" Chester started enthusiastically explain as the science geek so often did. Abby didn't mind.

* * *

A few nights later in an abandoned warehouse.

Insectiva's two humanoid cockroach-henchmen waited excitedly for their master along with the colony of dog sized termites and normal insects. The warehouse was so cluttered with insects that a human being wouldn't have enough room to stand. All of them had their attention directed at a massive metal slide-door.

Soon enough Insectiva appeared on a platform next to the metal door but she was dressed a lot differently than usual. Instead of her purple pants and sleeveless shirt she wore a white toga and a wreath made out of green leafs. She looked like a Greek goddess _or rather like someone's demented version of one._

"My dear children, four thousand years ago the Greeks told tales about a monster. A lion with a snake for a tail and a goat's head mounted its back." Insectiva spoke vividly. Her expression turned angry in a flash. "THAT PROVES THOSE PILLOWBITTING PITTA-MUNCHERS HAD THE INTELECT OF THE MARMOR STATUES THEY RAISED!" After the outrage her voice softened but still retained an aggressive edge. "Instead of mangy beasts and scaly reptiles they should have told stories about the creatures that deserves to be adored and feared." She smirked egocentrically. "Insects! That is why I have brought to life the true and superior _Chimera." _

The mad entomologist grabbed a remote control that was hanging from the ceiling in an electric cord. Her thumb pressed down on a red button and the giant steel door slowly opened, revealing a dark room on the other side. At first nothing seemed to be in it but soon everyone heard a nightmarish hiss followed by a loud footstep.

"I'll bring you the ultimate Grossologist hunter." Insectiva proclaimed.

Out of the dark room came a six feet tall, metal green head with huge black pincet-eyes and a powerful set of mandibles. Like a huge green wasp.

The two cockroach-henchmen quivered in fear and took a few fearful steps back as their eyes couldn't avert from the terrifying beast.

As the Chimera advanced, it revealed a pair of long green forelegs aligned with sharp hooks. Its clawed feets almost crushed some of the other insects on the floor but they managed to scatter in the last second. Next out came a pair of long crystal clear wings, adored with a pair of large red spots. These wings almost obscured the creature's four shorter legs. Last out of the room was its pitch black abdomen that in comparison with the rest of the armored beast seemed softer and more moveable. It ended in a long spear like stinger.

As the Chimera came into the room, the flies and gnats took to the air. Swarming in whirls out of fear. The moths flew backwards, trying to put some distance between them and this new insect. The humanoid cockroaches covered in fear, one of them even put a hand above his head for protection and the termite colony pointed their jaws at the monster in a feeble attempt at threating it from getting closer.

The Chimera seemed to pick up on the hostility radiating from the other insects. It heightened its head and thorax, spread its enormous wings and gave out a deafening shriek. That silenced every bug in the building.

Insectiva smirked devilishly. "Let the hunt begin."

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**It took me a while to write this chapter. Mostly because I couldn't figure out how the dynamic between Abby, Chester and Paige would work out in the scene. I was also worried to use the pageant as a one-note plot device but I actually do have a planned chapter were I use it again along with a certain demented fairy we all know and love to hate. ****This was mostly just an establishment chapter so you all know how Chester's living conditions are now and how he feels as well as what happened to project Ernutet. The next chapter will be more action-packed with Insectiva returning to action (seeing forward to that).**

**Ps. I hate Flour Beetles. I find them in my kitchen all time and I can't get rid of them!**

**Your reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	13. Attack of the Chimera

**Chapter 13: Attack of the Chimera**

Abby and Chester sat atop of Abby's rooftop. Cuddling very close to one another by the chimney. Chester had wrapped one arm around Abby's waist while pointing out the star constellations with the other.

"…and that one is called Andromeda, it is named after an Ethiopian princess and do you see that furthest star to the south?" Chester asked as his index lined out the stars. Abby nodded. "That star is called Alpheratz. Unlike most stars it is made up partly of mercury and it is shared by another star constellation, Pegasus."

"That is amazing." Abby awed. "How many stars is there?"

"Hmm, hard to say. The Milky Way galaxy consist of about 400 billion stars," He turned to Abby with a warm smile and bright eyes, "but none of them are as beautiful as you Abby." He wrapped his other arm around her stomach.

Abby blushed. She had no idea on how to respond to his flattery. She just nuzzled her face into the croak of his neck. She felt safe with him. After a solid minute of just lying in his warm grasp she looked up at him. His eyes shimmered like the night sky behind him. Staring into them filled her with comfort and wonder.

She suddenly heard a _*peep*. _She looked around. _*Peep*. _Where did that sound come from? _*Peep*. _Abby sighed when she realized what it was. She reluctantly closed her eyes and woke up from her dream.

* * *

Abby opened her eyes and tiresomely reached for the alarm clock on her drawer. She turned off the infernal machine and grunted annoyed before getting up.

She started making herself ready for the day.

She hadn't just dreamt about Chester. For the last couple of days she had also started daydreaming about him. It was like his innocent face had been imprinted in her mind. Was she in love with him? Maybe she just felt sympathy for him because of the all the hardship he had gone thru or maybe she was just flattered by all the attention he gave her. The issue was that if she truly were in love with him she knew she could have him, she knew he liked her so it all fell on her to make it happen. This put a lot of pressure on the girl's shoulders.

'_Wouldn't it be weird to date him, he used to be Kid Rot?' _Abby thought as she ate her breakfast in the kitchen.

'_Who am I trying to fool? Whenever I see his face I_ _never think about that monster, all I can think about is how cute he is.'_

"What's up Abby, did a Slitherbuddy get under the table?" Ty teased from across the table after noticing her absentminded smile.

Abby gave her brother an angry glare but for some reason she couldn't concur up a good comeback. The siblings let it slide and continued finishing their breakfast.

* * *

Abby's thoughts on Chester continued even as she boarded the school bus. She sat down next to Ty.

'_Maybe I could just test going on a date with Chester?"_

'_No, if what I feel for him is not love it would never last and the last thing Chester needs is more heartbreak.'_

'_Whatever I decide it has to be soon. It is not right to make him wait.'_

A few stops later Chester boarded the bus. Abby smiled at him and he smiled back. That was something Abby knew she liked about him, he was always glad to see her. Chester started walking towards the Archers when one guy stretched out a leg in front of him and Chester fell over it, hitting the floor face first.

Several of the other teens started laughing. "Floor right ahead, dork." The guy that tripped him mocked.

"Aw, can you stop it!" Abby snapped and stood up. Some of the others stopped laughing and stared at her while some continued giggling. She started walking to Chester that was still lying on the floor. "Can't you see that he is suffering?"

She bent down and took Chester by his wrists. Chester gave a quiet sob as she helped him to his feets. He had some grime stuck on his nose bridge and a black streak of dirt across his right cheek. He smiled faintly when he meet Abby's gaze. "Thanks." He said. At that moment the bus hit a speed bump. The quake caused Chester to stumble forward right into Abby. Their chests hit each other and his head arched over her shoulder. The intimate yet unintended touch made Abby feel hot and she blushed. Chester quickly staggered back. He looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry." He sounded really nervous and apologetic.

"It's alright. Come on." Abby reassured and lead him to an empty seat just behind her and Ty.

"Thanks again." Chester exclaimed.

Abby arched a confused eyebrow. "For what?"

Chester blinked. "For helping me up back there."

"Right, right. Your welcome." Abby stammered, being a bit scatter minded. She sat back down next to Ty. She looked back inbetween their seats where she could see Chester. He had that humble smile he sometimes had. She turned her gaze away from him and sighed regretfully.

'_You are being cruel to him.'_

* * *

The first class for Abby today was math which she shared with Chester. Halfway thru the lesson Abby looked up from her math book to look at Chester. To her surprise he was looking at her. Realizing he had been caught staring at her Chester flinched and looked down at his book.

Abby blushed and turned her gaze back at her book with a wide smile. This was not the first time she had caught him. She had gotten used to guys looking at her ever since she entered puberty. It annoyed her but it was something she had accepted as just something guys do yet it never bothered her as much when Chester looked because she knew how self-conscious he was and probably felt guilty over it. Now however, she found herself feeling warm over the attention he gave her.

She felt her Grossometer vibrating. She took it out of her pocket and flicked it on. It was a message from LabRat. _Come to the gaglab a-sap. No excuses._

She raised her arm. "Mr. Scheffer, Mr. Scheffer?" She chanted frenetically.

"Yes Abby." The aforementioned teacher said.

"I need to go."

"Why?"

"Um…um." She scratched her neck while trying to come up with a good excuse to get out of class. "I got lice." She announced and started feverently scratching her head to convince him.

"Oh, well go to the nurse's office then." Scheffer ordered.

Abby smiled and headed for the door. "Eew, lice." Paige crinnshed. Abby scowled and jerked her head so her ponytail whipped in the blonde girls direction. Paige shrieked. "Did I get something on me?" She started stroking her clothes and scratch her hair, overly convinced that she had caught lice.

'_Suggestive psychology is beautiful.' _Abby thought with a chuckle as she exited the classroom. As she ran thru the corridors she meet up with an equally stressed out Ty.

"You got LabRat's message?" Ty asked.

"Yeah. Do you know something about this?" Abby asked.

"No, just that he wants us in the lab." Ty responded. They stopped by their lockers, switched their combinations to the Gs and the lockers swooshed open. They ran in, towards the gaglab.

* * *

The Archers reached the gaglab in their respective orange and yellow slimesuits. LabRat was already there, sitting in his chair. By his expression to judge he was in no mood for small talk.

"Good you're here." Here exclaimed before turning to his computer. "Do you guys remember Insectiva's giant termites?"

"Yes." Ty replied.

"Well, it seem like they are out to start a franchise." Labrat activated the large monitor which showed a video of downtown Ringworm, the central town square to be exact and it was teaming with the dog-sized termites. One building to the right was particularly worn-down and termite infested.

LabRat pointed at it. "Yesterday that was a fully operational warehouse but since this morning it is the main central for these bugs. They are most certainly building a new nest in there."

"Is Insectiva involved?" Ty asked, even thou he was pretty certain the mad entomologist had something to do with this.

"No visual confirmation yet." LabRat replied short.

"So you want us to drive the termites away." Abby guessed.

"No, that will be done the old fashion way. We gas the place, however six people that was in the warehouse got trapped in there when the area was evacuated." He showed images of the missing people on the screen. "Your job is to get in there and get them out."

Abby clutched her chin while critically studying the screen. "It would be easy for me and Ty to get in but getting so many civilians out will be hazardous. You have any ideas?"

LabRat smirked a bit. "I have these." He grabbed a pair of spray bottles with yellow liquids that had been unnoticeable standing by his computer. "These are filled with termite pheromones I been experimenting with. Spray this on yourself and the others when you found them. Since the termites are blind they should just let you pass. If you smell like a termite, to them you are a termite." He explained and handed them each a bottle.

Ty grimaced unenthusiastically. "You know when you say words like _should _it doesn't exactly inspire much confidence."

"It has to do. Come on, let's take the GRS." Abby exclaimed and the Archer siblings headed for their all-terrain vehicle.

* * *

The GRS-1 descended onto the town square. It was a crossroad made of steppingstones with large stores by each side and a river running under a bridge.

Inside the GRS Ty was spraying his sister in with the termite pheromones. He was facing the back of her so he could spray the areas she couldn't reach herself. "So, all done." Ty exclaimed and Abby turned around. "Oh wait, I missed a spot." He said and sprayed Abby right in the face.

The smell of the pheromones was nothing against what she had to deal with before but it was really bitter. It caused her to sneeze. "Ty!"

"Sorry, couldn't resist." Ty stated with a chuckle.

"Six people might have been eaten and you are making gags!" Abby scolded.

Ty scowled. "They are not eaten Abby. Termites are vegetarians." He spat as his sister as she headed towards the backdoor. He then blinked, as if he was surprised by his own statement. He clutched his chin. "Hmm."

"Ty, are you coming?" Abby called snappish.

Ty forgot about his suspicions for the moment and followed his sister. They got out of the GRS and headed straight for the large warehouse opening. The smaller colorless worker termites simple went past them but it wasn't their job to care. That job fell upon the soldiers. By the entrance was three six feet long soldier termites with giant brown heads. One of them stood on the ground, a second sat upside down in the door case and a third sat on the wall with his head directed towards the ground.

Ty and Abby walked right up to the entrance. It was the large one on the wall that investigated them. His long black mandibles moved up and down in front of Abby while his antennas touched her face, shoulders and chest. She had to admit, she felt kind of naked being evaluated by this giant insect. If it didn't think she smelled like a termite it could easily cut her in half. The fact that it was looking down on her from the wall made it look even bigger. It then moved its head over to Ty. Ty flinched a bit when the termite opened its jaws, showing Ty a gland protruding from the middle of its mouth. Ty couldn't help to whisper the word he was thinking. _"Acid." _

The termite tapped Ty with its antennas a few more times before lowering its head back into place. Seemingly satisfied with the inspection. Abby &amp; Ty sighed in relief and walked in. the warehouse was large with several walls hawing been turned into heaps of ruble. By the walls were worker termites fortifying their own walls with mud and chewed up wood. The soldiers were fewer and more disseminated thru out the place.

"Um Abby, does all this seem weird to you?" Ty asked, remembering his old suspicions.

"Yes Ty, giant termites taking over a depository doesn't happen every day." Abby snapped harshly at him. Usually Abby would be rather coy with her brother whenever he said something absurd but not today. For some reason her mind was still on her dilemma with Chester. She wasn't working on a 100% and she knew it and Ty's stupid questions didn't help any.

"Well okay that is weird but why would they the termites capture humans? They are vegetarians." Ty pointed out.

"Well, maybe they just got stuck here when the walls collapsed." Abby grunted.

"In that case they are probably dead already. It isn't like termites takes prisoners." Ty argued worried.

"Then let's hope that hasn't happened." Abby exclaimed irritated.

After some more walking they find the missing people behind one of the stone heaps, not far from the entrance. Four men and two women, all of them were unharmed even if one of the women were unconscious. They were guarded by two soldiers. One standing on the heap and the other sitting on the wall.

"Who are you?" One of them asked.

"We are Grossologists. We are here to get you out," Abby answered, "but first we need to spray you with this. It will mask your sent from the termites." She showed them their bottles and she &amp; Ty started spraying them with pheromones. Abby was happy this would soon be over but Ty was more cynical. He was of course happy these people were alive but this meant someone was behind all this. He could bet it was Insectiva. She was manipulating this situation like a stage director.

Their plan seemed to work judging by the way the guarding termites was acting. They turned in place and sniffed the air. To them it was like the six humans they were guarding had suddenly disappeared and been replaced with six termites.

"Alright people, let's move." Abby said and directed everyone towards the exit with her hand. The people started moving. The unconscious woman was being carried by her husband.

"Abby, wait!" Ty exclaimed and grabbed her wrist. "Maybe we should find another way out."

Abby was shocked over his suggestion. "What!"

"I have a bad feeling about this. I am pretty sure we are being played here." Ty exclaimed.

His sister grew more annoyed with the situation. "Ty, I am sweating here! These pheromones won't last forever. We don't have time to wander aimlessly thru this huge building. We take these people thru the nearest exit, enough said." Abby stated and started leading the civilians to the opening.

Ty pouted but decided his sister had a point. '_Guess the best thing to do is stay alert and be ready for anything_.'

* * *

Once they were outside they meet the Detective. He was there with a couple of police cars to take the civilians home. "Good job Grossologists." He complimented.

"So typical of humans, patting themselves on the back when they haven't accomplished a thing." Said a dreadfully recognizable voice. They turned to see Insectiva standing on the ground. Her dress was different thou. She wore a Greek toga and a wreath of green leafs.

"Insectiva." Ty exclaimed. He then turned to his sister. "I told you this was a trap."

Abby pulled her goopshooter and the Detective pulled his gun on the mad entomologist. "Alright lady, put your hands in the air and come with quietly." The Detective ordered.

"Oh I would but I am afraid my son wouldn't like that. You see I have recently taken the role of the serpent goddess Echidna." Insectiva said cryptically.

"Son? Role? What are you talking about?" The Detective asked confused.

Suddenly a deafening buzz cut thru the air. The sound was as powerful as an incoming jumbo jet. The Grossologists and the Detective shut their ears. Looking up they saw the Chimera descending from the sky. A 14 meter long black and metal green insect landed between them and Insectiva.

"What the-" The Detective fired his gun three times at the beast but the bullets just bounced off it.

"Ha! The Chimera has the impregnable hide of an ironclad beetle." Insectiva mocked.

Ty fired his goopshooter and hit the Chimera right in the eye. It staggered back as it tried to remove the slime from its face with its claws. "Abby, the GRS. Now!" He ordered. He and Abby ran into the GRS while the Detective jumped into the cop car, driving off with his partner and the civilians.

"So what's the plan?" Abby asked as she took her seat.

Ty sat down in the driver's seat. "Test this monster's limits."

The GRS took to the sky just as the Chimera freed itself from the sticky goo. Insectiva mounted the monster's thorax and affectionately petted it. "Come on, let's show them why you don't pick a dogfight with an insect."

The giant monster effortlessly left the ground with its master secure on its back. It headed straight towards the Grossologist vehicle with alarming velocity. It rammed the GRS like a battering-ram, sending it spiraling out of control.

Ty managed to stabilize it. He flew lower and away from the Chimera but the monster soon caught up with them and pressed the vehicle up against a nearby wall. It then flew past the Grossologists and faced them head-on. Ty turned the GRS around but once again the giant bug caught up with it and clawed the roof.

"She is just toying with us." Abby stated. "That thing is faster than the GRS-1."

"Well let's see how fast it can stop." Ty said. He abruptly stopped the GRS and the Chimera unintentionally flew past it. Ty grabbed a control stick and pushed its red button. This lowered down the goopcannon from underneath the GRS. "EAT GOOP!" Ty shouted as he pressed down on the button.

A series of shots of slime was fired at the Chimera but the big insect elegantly dodged every assault. Insectiva chuckled darkly. "Good, your fly-genes were well spent. Now, let's test those dragonfly-genes of yours."

The Chimera's mandibles shot out from its head like the jaws on a dragonfly larvae. Within one second the jaws had grasped the hood of the GRS and pulled it towards the monsters head. Abby &amp; Ty screamed in terror until the GRS came to sudden stop. The Grossologists were almost thrown of their seats. When they looked out the windshield they were meet with a pair of large black compound eyes. The Chimera then landed on a skyscraper. He clamped down on the vehicle with his giant mantis like forelegs and started crushing it.

Inside Ty and Abby could see the walls being pressed in. "It's time to abandon ship." Abby said. Ty pushed a button and the hood opened up like a door. The Archer siblings jumped out and rolled onto the roof. The Chimera gave the GRS one final squeeze, glass windows shattered into tiny diamonds and he dropped it to the roof. The once impressive vehicle was reduced into a mangled, masticated wreck of metal. The monster turned to the Grossologists and made another assault but this time Abby was quick enough with her goopshooter. The slime hit the creature right in the head, pasted together its massive mandibles. The creature's jaws were made to snap close quickly so separating them went slower and that was without the sticky goop.

"I have a plan. Do you see how long legs it has?" Ty whispered to his partner. "He can probably not turn around very fast. You keep Insectiva and the head occupied while I circle it. I will try to mess up its wings."

Abby nodded and the two of them separated. Abby stood her ground while Ty circled the giant beast. The Chimera attacked Abby with his raptorial arms but the limber girl jumped over the slashing claws and landed in a crouching position on the skyscraper's edge.

Thinking she had one of the Grossologists cornered Insectiva started to gleet. "You know it was that Chester-kid that gave me the idea for this little creation. Maybe after I dispose of you two I will pay him a visit."

Abby furrowed her brows. _'She did not just threaten Chester.' _She jumped into the air. The Chimera swiped its claws at her but missed and her foot hit Insectiva in the head. Abby then kneed her in the stomach before jumping of the monster.

"You bratty bimbo!" Insectiva snarled. The Chimera attacked again but Abby jumped out of the way the last second before the beast's giant mandibles made a crater in the concrete roof.

Meanwhile, Ty had ran around the Chimera. His goal was to paste together the monster's wingtips, enable it to fly but unknown to Ty the Chimera had a secret weapon. Axons, large sensitive nerve fibers located in the tail. These fibers allows the Chimera to sense air movements from behind and react rapidly. It is fully aware of Ty's every movement.

Ty got into position and took aim but the Chimera recoiled its stinger and lashed out against the Grossologist. Ty tried to step aside but it was too late. The stinger made a long shallow cut thru his thigh, ripping thru both skin and clothing. Ty ignored the searing pain and fired his goopshooter. It was a successful shot that glued together the wingtips.

Ty felt fine but then the cramps set in. Ty fell onto his back and clutched his injured leg as he hissed in pain but this was just the beginning. Ty felt a new surge of pain overtake his body and he screamed until his lungs lost their strength. He squirmed and twisted in violent spasm attacks in a semi-conscious state. The pain Ty felt was so immense it would be beyond the scope of any other human. It was as if his entire skin was on fire while his bones grew thorns that cut thru his flesh and his blood turned to burning acid. He couldn't see or hear anything anymore. His mind had turned into an inferno of pure agony. Finally his body went limp.

"Ty!" Abby cried out and ran to her brother. With her back turned the Chimera tried to go for another strike but Insectiva pulled in his antennas which stopped him. She didn't want her new monster to ruin this delicious moment.

Abby kneeled down by her brother. She lifted his head. "Ty! Please Ty, talk to me." She begged. She could hear Insectiva's malicious giggle behind her. "YOU, YOU POISOND HIM, YOU MONSTER!" Abby screamed with teary eyes.

"O Abby, you don't give me enough credit." Insectiva said. "What Ty have been infected with isn't any normal poison. It is an altered version of the tarantula hawkwasp venom. It is completely harmless to humans but…" Her smirk grew so wide it threatened to split her skull in half. "It stimulates pain. Pain so powerful it can kill him by shock or heart failure. So it won't be the venom that kills him but the pain." She laughed maniacally. "Hope his heart is strong enough."

Abby put her fingers on Ty's pulls. It was fast, extremely fast. He panted heavily thru his open mouth. A tear streamed down Abby's face.

Insectiva rolled her eyes in annoyance. "Alright, enough of this touchy feely stuff. Chimera, kill her."

The giant bug gave off a shrieking battle cry and charged after Abby that immediately started running. She jumped of the roof and landed with a roll on the next building. She continued running, not looking back, and jumped down onto a fire escape. As she climbed down she saw that the Chimera was still coming after her.

"You think you can outrun my Chimera? He got the legs of a tigerbeetle honey." Insectiva mocked.

Abby got down on the ground and ran until she found an open window of a small cloth store. She just managed to hide behind a shelf before the Chimera's head shattered one of the windows and crawled in.

She took several deep breaths, trying to calm down. The sight of Ty wriggling in pain still fresh in her mind. _'Calm down Abby, calm down. You have to find a way to defeat that monster. You owe it to Ty if anything. Find its weakness.' "Come on Abby, you are the daughter of an entomologist. This should be second nature to you." _She whispered to herself.

'_What do I know about insects? They have six legs, their skin is made of chitin, they breathe thru their tracheas.' "The trachea." _She gasped. She peaked out from behind the shelf. She got a good look at the monster and saw just what she wanted to see, the trachea openings. While the tracheas did have lids they were more like filters than anything. It had three openings on one side of her body and probably three more on the other side. If she could clog them up the monster would suffocate. It was a risky plan but it was all she had.

Abby sat her goopshooter on the highest setting. She stepped out from behind the shelf and took her shot. It hit the Chimera in one of the tracheas. It turned towards Abby and ejected its jaws but Abby had already leaped to the side and hid behind a drape of shirts. The Chimera ferociously charged in Abby's direction. Ribbons of shredded clothes flew thru the air as the monster's claws sliced up the shirts. Abby took advantage of the confusion and managed to clog another trachea opening. The Chimera faced Abby and braced itself for a new attack but just as he was about to attacked she threw a large t-shirt over its head. With her foe temporarily blinded Abby jumped to the side, shot into another trachea before retreating to behind another drape of clothes.

It was like a deadly game of whack-a-mole and Abby knew she was losing. Sure, the Chimera was getting sluggish from lack of oxygen but so was Abby from exhaustion. She needed a new plan. She looked out the nearby window. As it turned out, she wasn't far from where this mission had started. The river was still there.

A new plan formed in her mind but she needed to put some distance between herself and her enemy. She grabbed a hanger that laid on the floor and threw it across the store. The wandering Chimera heard the sound of it when it hit the ground and as planned he headed in its direction, thinking it was Abby.

The Grossologist jumped out of the window and used the last of her power to run towards the river. The Chimera detected her movements and took chase. Crawling its massive body thru one of the windows. He was considerably slower now but no less fearsome.

Abby got to the river's edge and turned to face the Chimera. The predator rushed against her with its master still on his back. "The game is over Grossologist. I might keep your head as a trophy." Insectiva squawked.

Just as the Chimera would deal out the death blow Abby fired her goopshooter and hit him right in his eye. She then rolled under the Chimera's abdomen. The beast blindly swinged his claws in empty air, making him tip over the edge. The insect reacted quickly and gripped the ground with his back legs but Abby fired her goopshooter at the ground, making it to slippery for the monster to hold on and he fell forward into the river.

"No, no, no!" Insectiva shouted before they both plunged into the water.

The Chimera soon resurfaced, shrieking and struggling as the water filled its respiratory system. He soon went quiet and fell onto his back. The ones mighty monster was now nothing more than a giant floating husk.

Insectiva swam ashore. Dragging her body up on the waterfront. She looked at her dead creation with sympathetic eyes and gently dropped her wreath into the river. "He was one of a kind, just like me." She sobbed. She then turned angry. "I will avenge you my son! I will destroy the Grossologists!"

The Detective come up from behind her and handcuffed her. "Not if I have anything to say about it." He said and started pulling her towards his car.

"Let me go!" Insectiva shouted as she squirmed and twisted. "Take your hands of me you donut mongerer. This is no way to treat the mother of monsters, I mean insects, I mean…I don't know who I am anymore!"

"If you wanna plead insanity I can witness for you." The Detective stated.

Meanwhile, Abby was on her knees as she panted heavily and sweated just as badly but she knew her job wasn't done. She gazed the large skyscraper. Mindful of her dying brother on the roof.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**Okay, sorry that this is the third chapter that starts off with a fantasy sequence. I will try to be more creative in the future. I am also sorry that this chapter is so long but I have my reasons. First off, I didn't want to give the Chimera the "Smaug-treatment" by making him a big deal in one chapter only to kill him off in the start of the next. Second, my original plan was to simply drop the Chimera in the city and let him run amok but then I thought that if Insectiva had set up a trap for the Grossologists then Abby could feel more guilty over Ty's fate.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter.**

**You're reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	14. My Eyes Are Open

**Chapter 14: My Eyes Are Open**

Abby's breathing was heavy as she ran up the stairs of the skyscraper. Every muscle in her body was still sore after the fight with the Chimera. Her legs faltered and she fell but her shoulder hit the wall so she managed to stand. She growled at her own tiresomeness before resuming running.

'_Please Ty, don't be dead. For the love of god don't be dead.' _

She reached the door to the roof and violently kicked it open. Ty was lying motionless in the same place she had left him. She ran to him and got on her knees.

'_He looks dead.' _She dreadfully thought with a worried gulp. She placed her head on his chest. She heard faint heartbeats. He was alive but just barely. He needed medical treatment. Abby ran towards the mangled wreckage of the GRS-1, hoping the medicine in there would be of help. She pulled out her electronic key and pushed the opening button but the backdoor wouldn't open. It had been sealed together with the rest of the ship when the Chimera crushed the GRS.

"Damn it!" She exclaimed and angrily kicked the door. She ran to the cockpit and stepped thru the broken windshield. Her hopes to get to the medicine was crushed when she saw that the inside had caved in, separating the cockpit from the rest of the ship. Distraught, Abby got out of the ship and called LabRat on her Grossometer.

"LabRat!" Her stern voice made the computer wiz flinch. "Ty is injured, badly. He has been poisoned."

"A-Alright. Take him to the Gaglab. I prepare the med-bay." LabRat said worried.

"I can't. The GRS-1 is destroyed." Abby was now so worried that her voice turned squeaky like a mouse's.

"You have to find another way of transportation." LabRat stated.

Abby looked over at Ty and got an idea. "Ty's jetpack."

"What?"

"Were is the nearest GagLab entrance?" She asked, ignoring LabRat's query.

LabRat showed Abby a map of the area on the Grossometer screen. "There's a manhole in an alley across the river, only a few blocks away."

"Okay thanks." Abby turned off her Grossometer and ran back to Ty. She gently slipped the jetpack of his back put it on. It sat a bit loose so she strapped it tight around her back. She then cradled her brother and lifted him up. As she did Ty started to stir. In a moment of naiveté and premature hope Abby laid him back on the ground but what she thought was him waking up was really just cramps making his body twitch.

'_Hope that isn't death rattles." _She thought and once again lifted him up in her arms. She activated the jetpack. Already she felt as if the jetpack was trying to fly away with her but she stood her ground. She took a few steps before leaping of the roof and the jetpack carried her away but it went to fast and she spiraled out of control. She eventually managed to stabilize herself and got on course.

'_Ugh, why did I never learn to properly use this thing?' _Abby thought and then looked down at Ty.

'_Because of him, you could never stand it that Ty was better than you at something.'_

'_That is not true. Ty is better than me in a lot of things. How many times has his scientific knowledge saved us? And now I might never be able to turn to him for advice again.'_

Abby could now see the alley. She made a sharp turn towards it but she lost control of the jetpack again. She gripped her brother tighter before she crashed against a wall. One of the jetpack's wings snapped off and Abby's shoulder got scratched up before she hit the ground. The still active jetpack got lose from Abby's back, crashed into the other side of the alley and fell to the ground. It gave out a few *puff* sounds while pathetically skipping across the ground until coming to a permanent stop, letting out a streak of dark smoke.

"When Ty wakes up he is gonna kill me for ruining his jetpack." Abby sighed. _'__**If **__he wakes up.' _

'_No! Don't think like that, he will wake up and everything will be like it used too.'_

* * *

LabRat heard Abby coming in and went to meet her but the sight was almost too much for the young shut-in. Abby was standing in the entrance with Ty in her arms. Sweat was running down her serious face and she was panting heavily. Every muscle in her body was aching from overuse.

"Um…okay, follow me." LabRat said and motioned her to the med-bay he had set up. It was a separated area of the Gaglab with a cover, a wheeled bed and a cabinet with medicine. Abby gently placed Ty on the bed.

"He is in a lot of pain." She stated tiered.

"What kind of poison was he exposed too?" LabRat asked while going thru the cabinet. Preparing a few syringes.

"Venom, from a tarantula hawkwasp." Abby replied as she headed towards a chair, which now looked like a golden throne in heaven to the tired girl. She sighed, sat down and the moment her back hit the backrest she fell asleep.

When Abby woke up she felt well rested yet groggy. Her light backache proved that the chair hadn't been too comfortable. She was never far from a computer in the Gaglab and as soon as she saw a computer screen she saw that the clock was 17:25. She remember it was around 11 when she arrived here.

LabRat walked into the room. "Good to see you are awake." He greeted politely.

"Why did you let me sleep so long?" Abby snapped, definitely annoyed that her friend let her sleep at such a delicate time.

LabRat rolled his eyes annoyed. "Right, as if I am gonna wake that sleeping giant."

"Oh fat jokes, really appropriate." She snarled.

"I wasn't making a fat joke." He deadpanned.

Abby sighed, took a deep breath and pinched her nose bridge as she collected her thoughts. "You know, I am sorry I snapped. I am just frustrated and tiered and worried. Not to mention I have been confused all day today."

LabRat tilted his head and raised a puzzled eyebrow. What could confuse Abby an entire day? "It is okay. I guess you want to look up on Ty." He said lightheartedly and thumbed towards the med-bay.

Abby walked over and pulled the cover aside. Ty was still unconscious but at least his breathing sounded normal and he didn't seem to be in any pain. "How is he?" She asked with a depressed expression.

"I managed to stabilize him. Gave him some painkillers for the pain and some sedatives for his rapid heart." Was LabRat's tiered but specific answer. It hadn't been an easy procedure but at least now it was done. He was thankful over the results but wished he could have done more.

"Was there no anti-dote?" She asked without taking her eyes of Ty.

"Wouldn't have mattered. The issue was how his body was reacting, not the venom itself."

"Will he-*gulp*-will he wake up soon?" Abby asked, trying to not to sob.

"By my estimates he will be awake by tomorrow. He will be fine Abby." LabRat stated.

Abby took a step closer. She moved a strand of hair off his forehead. Her mind went back to what he said in the warehouse. All his warnings.

"_It is all my fault." _She whispered to herself. "What will I tell my parents?" she asked LabRat.

"I sent them a message from Ty's cellphone saying he is staying at Andy's."

Abby gave LabRat a blank, confused stare. She was used to lie about their whereabouts, she did it this morning. It was part of the job yet lying to her parents while her brother was hurt just seemed wrong somehow. He was their son, they should know how he was feeling.

LabRat squinted his left eye. "Was that wrong?" He asked puzzled.

Abby shook her head. "No, no. It was good thinking. You did well. I better get going now before my parents wonder where I am." She reluctantly left Ty and headed for the exit.

"Alright. See ya." LabRat said and raised a hand as a goodbye.

Abby shot him an obvious forced smile and waved goodbye. "Take care."

LabRat's mournful eyes followed her until she was gone. He felt so sorry for the Archer sister. He then looked over at Ty and he smiled. _'He will be okay, she will be okay, we will all be okay. That is how it works around here. Pain and heartache always comes and goes but we persevere and once the dark has past we will appreciate the light so much more. I just hope Abby will see the light soon.'_

He placed a mug of water next to Ty's bed (figuring he would be thirsty when he woke up) and patted his friends shoulder. "Get better soon buddy." Then he went to feed Hermes.

* * *

Abby opened the door to her house. Her eyes were so tearful they stung but being the strong girl that she was she kept them in check. It was weird, this morning all she could think about was Chester, now it was Ty screaming in pain.

Her mother walked up to her. "Hey honey."

"Hey mom." Abby said before her mom gave her the traditional motherly hug. Cold, it felt cold.

"Were have you been all day?" Petunia asked.

Abby hadn't even thought about an excuse for that. "Um, I was studying at the library and fell asleep." _'Why was it so easy to lie about that but not about Ty?'_

Her dad Harvey came into the hall, having overheard their conversation. "That is okay sweetie. It happens the best of us. Ty sent a message saying he would sleep over at Andy's place. Would you like to ask a friend of your own to come over?" He said in a jolly tone.

A feeling of disgust filled the pit of Abby's stomach. Seeing her parents so happy and casual when their son was almost dead made her feel horrible. They should be worried sick but they didn't know about Ty's predicament. Only she cared.

"No, it's okay." She sighed and started walking up the stairs.

"Oh, one more thing." Her mother called out, prompting Abby to turn in the middle of the staircase.

"WHAT?" Abby snapped aggressively.

Petunia flinched. "Um, I would like you to put up new flyers for the planthouse."

"Why?" Abby asked, sounding disinterested.

"The midnight showing has been postponed by about a month. I don't know why, something having to do with security at the custom." Petunia explained.

Abby didn't care. "Okay." She sighed and continued walking up the stairs.

"Are you sure you are okay Abby." Harvey asked concerned.

Abby stopped again but she didn't turn around. She squeezed the rail. "Everything is fine dad." She growled with a spit of accidental venom before storming off to her room. Once shutting the door behind her Abby couldn't hold it back anymore. She ran to her bed and started crying into her pillow.

'_What is wrong with me? I can't blame my parents for not knowing. It's a secret I have kept for years. Everything is my fault. If I had listen to Ty Insectiva wouldn't have ambushed us and Ty wouldn't have gotten hurt. He must have been in so much pain. Is that the last I will remember him by?'_

She sat up and hugged her knees.

'_I am being irrational. LabRat said he will be okay and LabRat is never wrong, but why then do I then feel like I am never going to see him again? I wish I wasn't alone. I wish someone could be here for me. Is this how Chester feels every day? Chester."_

Her eyes darted to the cellphone on her bedtable. She remember the dream she had last night. Chester didn't live far away and he knew about her secret double life. He has so often made her feel better.

'_No, I can't call him. I can't lay all this on him and what will he think of me? He might think I have feelings for him. Which I don't, do I?' _She stared at the phone for what felt like an eternity. _'No matter what I feel for him he is still my friend and he does care about me and I really need a friend right now. _

Her hand quickly swiped the phone of the bedtable and called Chester's number. She held it to her ear. "Hello, it's Chester." The moment she heard his voice she regretted calling him. She felt stupid but it was too late hang up now.

"He-hey Chester." Abby sobbed unintentionally.

"Is something wrong?" Chester asked concerned.

"It *sob* it is Ty." Abby replied. It was hard for her to talk. Her throat felt thick and her eyes were running.

"Ty? What is wrong with him?" Chester sounded even more concerned.

"He got injured on a mission. He-he was in a lot of pain."

"Is he okay?" He asked.

"I-I think so but I feel…" She almost choked on her own words. "I'm scared."

Chester was quite for a moment. "Do you…" He gulped nervously. "Do you want me to come over?" There was a feel of both worry and concern in his voice.

Abby bit her nails. She didn't really want to spring all this on Chester but hearing his voice, knowing that he cared made her feel somewhat better. "Only if you want to." She finally replied.

"O-okay…I'll be over soon. Um, Abby? it-it will be okay." He said and hung up.

Once turning off her phone Abby sighed. Chester would be here soon, seeing her at her most vulnerable. She didn't know if Chester's sadness was similar to her own but she knew he was sad quit often. Now she understood why he never talked about it, reaching out was a hard thing to do.

* * *

Chester rang the Archer's doorbell. He was nervous. Abby had sounded so scared and distraught over the phone. He had never tried to comfort someone before but Abby had comforted him when he was sad. It was something friends did for each other.

Petunia Archer opened the door. "Oh, hey Chester." She greeted friendly yet a bit surprised.

Chester had only meet Petunia and Harvey once before which was also the only other time he'd been to this house. He liked them, they were nice and generous people but it was a bit hard for Chester to look at them without being reminded that he himself lacked parents.

"Hey Mrs. Archer. Abby said she wanted to meet me." Chester said.

Petunia stepped to the side and let Chester in. "We did ask Abby if she wanted a friend over but she said no. I guess she must have changed her mind. Ty is sleeping over at a friend's house you see and Abby so rarely have friends over. We just figured she wanted company." Petunia explained.

"Oh." Chester started to suspect what must have happened. "Well, I am happy to be here. Is Abby in her room?" He asked and jerked his thumb to the stairs.

"Yes, do you remember where her room is?"

"Yes, thank you." Chester replied and walked up the stairs. When he reached the door he became a bit more nervous. He had never walked into a girl's room before so just to be on the safe side he knocked. "Abby, are you in there?" He got no response. "Abby, I'm coming in."

He opened the door and stepped in. Abby was sitting cross-legged on her bed, a pillow in her arms and her face buried in the pillow. Her breathing came in tiny sobs. She looked up from the pillow. Everything about her face, her eyes, her cheeks, her eye lids was red and swollen. It took Chester all willpower he had not to run to her and take the girl in his arms.

"Hey Chester." Abby whipped some snot of her face with her sleeve. "Sorry to drag you into this."

Chester ignored her apology. "Abby what happened? Why are you so sad?" He asked concerned and sounded almost desperate. Seeing Abby like this almost made him cry.

"It-it- it was all my fault." She managed to croak before starting crying again.

"What do you mean?" He asked.

"…Trap…Ty…Insectiva…Lab…my parents…" Abby got out between her crying but she couldn't form coherent sentences. She was so confused she couldn't think straight.

Chester wanted to comfort Abby. He took a step forth but then he hesitated. _'No, I can't help her. I am Chester, I have never been able to help anyone. I just make things worse and if I try to touch her she will be disgusted.'_

Suddenly Chester felt as if he had been mentally slapped across the face.

'_How can you even think like that? Look at her. She is your friend, your only friend and she is in pain and she reached out to you for help yet all you can think of is how this affects you. Stop being a selfish coward for once. This is your chance to show Abby the kindness she has always shown you but never deserved.'_

With some newfound confidence Chester sat down next to Abby. He tenderly laid one hand on one of hers while rubbing her back with the other. "It is okay Abby, it's going to be okay. Don't cry. Tell me what's wrong." Chester was almost surprised over how kind his voice sounded.

Abby didn't look at Chester but his touch made her feel safe. She rubbed her eyes until they were dry. "Okay." Her voice was so quiet.

Abby then told Chester everything. Ty's warnings that she had refused to listen too, the Chimera poisoning Ty, LabRat's medical assessment, her irrational fears for Ty and anger towards her parents.

When she was done talking she felt calmer, not better but calmer. Chester was silent for a while and Abby found herself hating the silence. _'He probably hates me now. He probably thinks I am a horrible person to put my brother in danger and taking my frustration out on others that don't deserve it.' _

Chester finally spoke. "You have no reason to feel guilty Abby." Abby looked questioningly at him and he gave her a reassuring smile. Chester may not have any experience in comforting people but what he did have was a great sense of sympathy, an analytical mind and a well of experience in dealing with hardship.

"Abby from what you told me you had no choice. Like you said, you had civilians to think of and you couldn't risk their safety by heading deeper into danger and as for Ty getting injured you couldn't have preventet that. Ty will always risk his wellbeing if it means protecting others. That's the kind of person he is, the kind of person you are. Also, if LabRat thinks Ty will be good by tomorrow I am fully convinced he will be. LabRat is one of the smartest men I know."

"Then why do I feel like I have lost him?" Abby asked in a sad tone.

"Well, I can't know for certain how you feel but maybe your initial shock from seeing Ty hurt still haven't left you or maybe it's just because you care so much about him." Chester said carefully, never having any siblings he didn't really know for sure how the relationship was like but he could see how much Ty &amp; Abby cared about one another.

Abby managed to smile a bit (understanding her emotions a bit better now) but that smile was short lived. "But what about my parents? Why do I feel so angry at them when I know they had nothing to do with it?"

Chester took a few moments to think the question over. "I don't know much about parents Abby, I haven't had any for years but as I understand it parents are supposed to make their kids feel safe but your parents can't always do that for you and Ty because you two took a vow of silence in protecting the city. Maybe you are angry because you feel like something is wrong cause something is wrong but it isn't your parent's fault and it isn't your fault either." His lips tugged into a humble smile. "Abby, what you and Ty do is so admirable and not just because you save people but also because what you sacrifice for it. It is okay for you to be sad but please don't blame yourself, you have nothing to feel guilty over."

Abby looked up at Chester and for the first time she saw him in a new light. She didn't see him just as a victim anymore. Sure, he had had harsh life but Abby knew plenty of people that's been thru hardship like Insectiva and Fartor. The difference was that Chester hadn't become hard or callous from it. He was one of the noblest souls Abby ever known. When she had first meet him he had volunteered to leave the city, to isolate himself from humanity in order to keep it safe. She remember the look of temptation in his eyes when Kid Rot had offered him power, power he so desperately needed to feel safe but he had refused it so that she wouldn't have to suffer like he had suffered and he was still here for her, to help her in her time of need. Even after she had rejected him Chester had never shown any spite towards her or pressure her on anything. He had just been happy to be part of her life and right now Abby never wanted him to leave it.

She slowly snaked her arms around Chester's neck and the two locked eyes. Chester stiffen from nervousness. "A-A-Abby?"

"Chester." Abby echoed. She cautiously leaned in towards him and they closed their eyes.

"_Abby." _He whispered.

"_Chester." _Her breath caressed his lips before she closed the gap between them in their first true kiss.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**I have a few announcements to make before I can talk about this chapter. First off, you might have noticed that I have changed the title from **_**Kid Rot's Master Plan **_**to **_**Rot in Paradise. **_**The reason for this is that while Kid Rot's plan is a big part of this, it is still just a part of it. The main focus will be on the relationships between the characters. **

**Second announcement is that I have two other Grossology projects on the way. The first one is **_**Grossology: Evolution **_**which will be focusing on the children of Ty and Abby as the new Grossologists. It might sound a bit cliché but I have big plans for it. The other one is **_**Sludge Squad. **_**This will be the Grossology version of Suicide Squad. Hope you guys see forward to that. **

**Alright, time to discuss this latest chapter. So wow, first kiss that isn't in a fantasy sequence or part of Kid Rot's rapey foreplay. That's a big step. I know the entire comfort leads to love thing is a cliché that's been done to death but it is one of those clichés I really like (it's like slow-motion or shooting a rapist's dick off). Hopefully the progression of their relationship doesn't seem forced or too fast. I also want you to take notice to the things Petunia says in this chapter because it will play a part later on. The title of this chapter **_**My Eyes Are Open**_** does not just reference Abby's realization but is also a famous line from the movie **_**Fight Club **_**who's main character also have a split personality. **

**Also, a little warning for the next chapter. Your feels will be kicked.**

**Please, leave a review for this chapter. They mean the world to me. **


	15. Wool & Polyester

**Chapter 15: Wool &amp; Polyester**

To Chester the kiss felt amazing. Like something he had never felt before. The ultimate proclamation that he existed, that he was human and that someone in this cold, dark world cared about him, yet deep down he couldn't help but feel that he didn't deserved it. He was Kid Rot, one of the most awful people alive. He sat perfectly still except that he kept his mouth open to let Abby do what she wanted. He was too scared to do anything that would evaporate the moment even thou what he really wanted to caress her hair and press her body closer to his.

Abby eventually pulled away from him, breaking the kiss. Chester stared blankly at her with his mouth still agape. Abby was happy. She was now sure about her feelings for him. The future looked so much brighter than it did a few minutes ago but she noticed that Chester was still in shock. She widen her smile in hopes that Chester would do the same but Chester seemed lost. He could see and hear but his mind was still too puzzled to process anything.

He finally managed to say something. "I-I wasn't prepared for that."

Abby giggled a bit because he was so cute. "I sort of saw it coming."

"But-but-but I thought…you said that-that you didn't like me like I like you?" Chester had never been so confused in his entire life. He was struggling just to put the pieces together.

"I didn't back then or maybe I did but was just confused about my feelings for you but now I know. Chester," She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before looking at him again with eyes as sincere has her words, "I am in love with you."

Abby's words hit Chester like a stone to the face. The notion that he never had any chance with her had been a founding stone in the walls he had built to protect himself from getting hurt. Now those walls were being torn down. His eyes became watery and he shacked his head left and right. "No, no, no, no, no!" He repeated in a panicked state. "You can't be in love with me."

Now Abby got really worried. Had she misread the situation? Had Chester gotten over her by this point? "I am, I am in love with you Chester." She clarified.

"You can't! No one can have feelings for me." He said as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"I do!" Abby protested in a desperate manner. She knew Chester's confidence was low but not this low. "Why is it such an impossibility?"

"I am Kid Rot." He sobbed.

"No, you are nothing like that monster and don't you dare blame yourself for his crimes. **I **was Kid Rot once. Do you blame me for the things I did while the parasite controlled me?" Abby argued.

"No-no, of course not. You are the most wonderful person I know." He stated, sounding a bit apologetic since he thought he might have implied Abby was as bad as him.

"Then you shouldn't blame yourself either."

"It is different for me." Chester stared at her with blank sad eyes. He spoke with a weak despaired voice. "I am Chester. I am worthless and weak and cruel and-

He was interrupted when Abby did something unexpected. She wrapped her arms around him and arched her head over his shoulders. She was hugging him.

"You are none of those things Chester, no matter what you or anyone else says." The redhead spoke softly.

Chester was speechless. He could not remember the last time anyone had touched him so affectionately. He hesitantly placed his hands on Abby's back. He knew what he was touching. Wool, but it felt like so much more. He could almost feel her heartbeats and her warm body heat. There was life under this fabric and it wanted him, cared for him. Chester smiled humbly, pressing her just an inch closer and rested his cheek against her shoulder. He knew that even if this wouldn't last, if he would spend the rest of his life alone and miserable that he would remember this moment. This one moment of warmth.

"I am sorry it took me this long to return your feelings for me." Abby said regretfully.

Chester broke the embrace but he still let one hand linger on her arm, for some reason he felt less hollow when he was touching her. "You have nothing to feel sorry for Abby. Knowing I have someone like you in my life, someone that cares, that helps more than you could imagine. Thank you." He sniffed but smiled sincerely.

Abby returned his smile. "Does that mean you want to be my boyfriend?"

Chester's brown eyes grew wide at this question as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. He slowly moved his hand from her arm to her cheek, almost like he wanted to confirm that she wasn't just a beautiful mirage. "You mean everything to me, Abby."

This made Abby's heart soar. He cupped his cheeks. "I take that as a yes." She retorted with a heart filled giggle before kissing him deeply. Once again Chester didn't do anything more than keeping one hand one her cheek but something happened. As they kissed his lip corners tugged themselves into a smile.

Abby wrapped her arms around his neck so when she broke the kiss their foreheads were still touching. "Chester, could you stay here with me over the night?"

Chester got a bit shy for a moment. He had never slept in anybody else's place before but he knew he felt much better here than at the orphanage, besides Abby's touch felt too good for him to decline her any request. "Okay."

Abby gave him a big hug. "I'll go tell mom you staying over." She jumped out of the bed and skipped merrily towards the door where she looked back at her new boyfriend. "I'll be back in a second, okay." She then ran out of the room and down the stairs. A wide grin graced her face. She finally had a boyfriend and not any boyfriend. She had Chester, the smartest, sweetest guy she knew. She didn't even have to run down all the steps before she saw her mother.

"Mom, Chester wants to sleep over here tonight. Is that alright with you?" Abby asked. She didn't want to tell her about their new relationship quit yet.

"Well," Petunia placed a pair of fingers on her chin as she thought it over. "Okay but don't do anything um, inappropriate. Okay honey?"

Abby rolled her eyes. "No mom, geez." She turned around and headed back to her room.

When she opened the door Chester sat like he did when she left. She jumped onto the bed and gave him a tight hug. "There, now we can spend the entire night together. Unless you need to call the folks at the orphanage?"

Chester frown as he thought on it. "Well, we do have a nightly curfew but no one follows it. Some of the kids in my age stays over at hotels for several nights until their money run out and they must come back. Others run away and never comes back again." He stated mournfully.

Abby gasped shocked. "That's awful. Doesn't the adults there care?"

Chester shrugged. "I don't know. Just because they put food on our table doesn't make them our parents, you know."

His statement made Abby realize just how little she knew about Chester. She knew everything about his personality, his dreams, his likes and dislikes but nothing about his past except for the stuff related to Kid Rot. The bureau did have a file containing information on Chester but out of respect for her friend she had never read it.

"Chester, can I ask you a personal question?" She asked carefully.

"Um, alright." He sounded a bit unsure, there were plenty of things about himself that Chester didn't like to talk about.

"What happened to your parents?"

Upon hearing that question Chester look down in a sad manner and Abby realized how insensitive she was to ask that question. "I am sorry Chester, I shouldn't have-

"My mom died of cancer when I was six." Chester interrupted her. When Abby didn't say anything he continued. "After that my grandpa took care of me." He smiled a bit as he remembered him old grandpa. "He was tough but he was nice to me until…" His smile dropped. "He developed Alzheimer when I was nine. He started to forget things, including me. Can you imagine that? One day he would pat my back and praise me, the next he would stare at me like I was an intruding stranger. I didn't know what Alzheimer was at the time so I thought I had done something wrong. Eventually it got so bad he couldn't take care of himself, even less me so he was put in a nursing home and I was sent to an orphanage."

In a flash Abby had crossed the bed and wrapped her arms around his abdomen. She squeezed him like she was trying to stop the sadness from growing, cause it was in truth the saddest thing she had ever heard. Touched by Abby's concern, Chester placed a hand on her back to calm her down.

"I am sorry you had to go thru that Chester." Abby sobbed. "He-he didn't hurt you, did he?"

Chester tilted his head and looked perplexed at her. "No, he never hurt me."

"Do you want to visit him someday?"

"Can't, he passed away a few months ago." Chester replied.

Abby squeezed him tighter and buried her face in his shirt. Saying she felt sorry for him wouldn't cut it. There was nothing she could say to comfort him but there was still a question left on her mind thou. "What about your dad then?"

"I never knew my dad. He left my mom two months before I was born." Chester sounded regretful.

'_Two months! He left her while she was pregnant.' "_What kind of a man would do such a thing?" Abby asked contempt, hating Chester's father thou she never meet the man.

"Yeah, but your dad is really nice thought."

Abby looked up and saw that Chester was smiling. He didn't really mean anything by it, it was just an honest observation he had made. She smiled to. "Yeah, he is."

"Doesn't surprise me. Abigail does mean pride of the father you know." Chester said as he leaned his back against the wall by the bed's short end and Abby sat down next to him.

"You are so smart Chester." She complimented as she rested her head against his shoulder and Chester wrapped an arm around her waist. "Actually, I want to know how you got so smart. How did you get so good at science and rot-stuff?"

"I have always had a neck for science, I don't know where I got it from. I guess my interest for compost matter came when I started to find old food in the fridge that my grandpa forgot to throw out. I used to come to him and ask why the bread was green or what those black spots in the cheese were. He said it was rotten so I asked what that meant. He said he didn't know so I tried to figure it out. Soon I was fascinated by decomposition, evaporation and how the entire ecosystem fitted together. Both on a large scale and on a molecular level."

"And now your knowledge will improve the world Chester. You are a real hero, just like you always wanted to be." Abby exclaimed cheerfully.

Chester smiled widely at her compliment but as he remembered his efforts with project Ernutet, his stupid, selfish motivation for it, he grew somber. "You know, that wasn't the reason I wanted to create the anti-rot formula." Abby looked concerned at him but Chester didn't look at her. His head hung in distraught. "I did it cause I felt so lonely. I wanted friends so badly so I looked to the popular guys. They had charm, talents and riches. All I had was my brain. So I thought if I did something really impressive people would think I was special. Boy, didn't that backfire."

"You mean you didn't have any friends at all?" Abby asked concerned.

"Well, I had a few for a short time but they didn't really like me. They just let me be with them cause they felt sorry for me." He said.

"What makes you think they didn't like you?" She asked a bit puzzled.

"Cause every time I approached them they sighed or rolled their eyes. They didn't chare any of my interests and when I spoke they usually didn't listen but it was still nice having someone to talk to you know but then…" Chester made a pause and gulped sorrowfully. "They turned against me. Some of them just started to ignore me, others turned hostile. I think-I think the other students started bullying them because they associated with me." He grew a sad smile. "I guess I was toxic even before I had the parasite."

Abby looked at him with large sympathetic eyes. A picture of how Chester had become who he was started to appear. His self-loathing went much deeper than Kid Rot. His entire life people he had depended on had either intentionally or unintentionally left him. Leaving him to wonder what he had done wrong.

She sighed before laying her head against his chest and hugged him tighter. "Chester, you should never say that about yourself and those people were not your friends. Real friends don't turn against you or leave you when you need them. I promise you that neither I nor Ty will ever leave you."

Her words made Chester almost want to cry. No one had ever said something so kind to him. He had heard one could get lost in a lover's eyes but he found himself getting lost in her touch. Her cheek rested against his collarbone, her arms were wrapped around his chest as he had one arm around her waist. After Kid Rot possessed him he had been careful never to touch anyone and even before that few people wanted to touch him since they saw him as a creep. He still had his doubts about this entire relationship-thing but right now he just focused on how good her touch felt. His long life of loneliness had created a vacuum inside of Chester that constantly pained him but with Abby's touch it felt like a sun had ignited inside of him, warming him from the inside out.

He wondered why he had told her all those things about his past. It had been like he couldn't stop himself. No one had ever listened to his problems before and it just felt so good to get it off his chest. He knew she cared but he wondered if she could relate. Now that he thought about it her mom said she rarely had friends over and he hadn't seen her socialize with anyone beside himself and Ty in school. _'No, she can't be lonely. Loneliness is reserved for freaks like me, not beautiful angels like her.'_

"Sorry I got so emotional. I shouldn't have told you all that."

Abby broke the embrace and sat on her knees in front of him. She took one of his hands. "You did nothing wrong, Chester. I want you to be able to talk to me about anything that's bothering you. I care about you and I want to be there for you.

Chester blushed and looked away. "Thanks." He then smiled at her. "But what about you? How did a beautiful girl become an awesome crime fighter?"

Abby blushed and stroked her ponytail absentmindedly. Then Abby started telling Chester about all of hers and Ty's adventures. She did leave out some of the more personal stuff but what she told filled several hours of conversation. As it turned out Abby still had a lot of qualms about the choices she had made as a Grossologist and while Chester couldn't relate he always had something comforting to say. When she told him about the villains' evil plans Chester commented on the science behind it and when she told him about something really scary he would squeeze her hand for support. The best parts for Abby thou was when she told Chester about all the heroic deeds she'd done. Chester's face lit up in awe with adoration over her achievements. Abby felt great to finally get praise for her accomplishments after keeping them all secret for so long.

"You are amazing." Chester said in awe &amp; with wide eyes when she was done with all her tales of adventure.

"Thanks." Abby turned to her alarm clock. Apparently their conversations had not felt its length cause the clock was well over eleven. She turned back to her boyfriend. "I need to change into my night clothes, do you think you could…" She jerked her head towards the door.

"Uh? Oh, oh, ri-right. I should-I should probably give you your privacy." Chester stammered nervously and backed towards the door, almost tripping on a chair-leg. "Whops, sorry. I'll go now." Abby giggled at his cuteness before he exited thru the door.

Once Chester was out of the room he sunk down against the wall and sighed despairingly. Being so close to Abby was the best to ever happen to him but now that she was out of sight his mind went back to its old negative spirals. Years of being the victim had made him very paranoid. His grandad could turn on him on a dime, the bullies could strike at any moment and Kid Rot would make him believe he was in control only to take over when he least expected it so Chester had learned never to let his guard down. This development with Abby was too good to be true which meant it probably was, but why then did Abby act this way.

'_Ty! It must be Ty. She saw her best friend and brother almost die and when I comforted her she confused her gratitude for love. She was vulnerable and I invertible took advantage of it. It's the only logical explanation. I should probably tell her, maybe she feel grateful enough to let things go back to normal despite me allowing her to kiss me twice.'_

But then Chester remembered everything that had transpired inside that room. Her kiss that made it feel as if his heart had spread wings, her hugs that took all his pain away and the way she looked at him. Not with pity or disgust but with compassion and affection. No one had looked at him like that before. It made him feel better than he could ever remember and he wanted to feel like that every day.

'_I am sorry Abby but I am too selfish to let you go.'_

His negative thoughts were interrupted when something small and hairy bumped his leg. He turned his head to it. It was the Archer family's cat Hairball. The cat stroked itself against Chester's leg and the blond boy smiled and patted Hairball's back. He had always loved animals, they didn't judge him or harass him like humans did. The cat purred in delight. _'Seem all members of the Archer family are kind &amp; sweet.' _Chester thought.

"I am done Chester, you can come in now." Abby called.

Chester got up and the cat ran off. When he got back into the room Abby was clade in a baby blue cotton shirt with purple dots and matching pants. Unknown to Chester she had actually taken extra time to make herself look presentable. Usually Abby wouldn't bother but for some reason she felt a bit self-conscious about looking like a total mess when Chester first came here and she really wanted to look good in front of him even if it was just for sleeping in.

"You look great." Chester said.

"Thanks." Abby grinned. "So, what will you sleep in? I can go to Ty's room and see if he has something that would fit." She offered.

"I have a t-shirt under this," He jerked a bit in his polyester shirt, "and I have boxers. Is that alright." He nervously explained.

Abby nodded. "Yes, that's good."

"So, um…" Chester looked around the room. "Were am I going to sleep? Do you have a mattress or am I going to borrow Ty's bed or I can sleep on the floor if nothing else." He scratched his neck. Living off the grid Chester had been used to sleep outdoors or in abandoned houses so despite the nightmares he had been thankful to be sleeping in a warm bed the last couple of weeks.

Abby giggled a bit. "I wouldn't make you sleep on the floor, Chester. I can pull out a mattress for you if you want but…" She blushed profoundly and squeezed her hands nervously. When she spoke again it was slow and hesitant. "I was hoping we could sleep in the same bed."

"_Same bed…" _He repeated in a whisper. He was so nervous by the implication he was shacking.

"You don't have to," Abby exclaimed, "but I have heard it is really suiting." Chester still seemed rather unsure. Abby decided to encourage him a little bit and took a step towards him. "See it as a trial of trust."

Chester looked into her eyes. They reflected hopefulness, playfulness but also a hint of vulnerability. _'She must still cover up for her worries over Ty.' _"Okay." Chester answered softly.

"Thank you." Abby exclaimed happily and gave Chester a tight hug. She then skipped over to her bed and started putting up pillows and pulling away covers.

"Abby." Chester's voice made Abby stop in her doing and look at him. "Ty will be okay. I am sure of it." He forced a smile.

"I think so too." She smiled and climbed into the bed. "Thank you for comforting me."

Chester found Abby adorable when she sat on the bed, smiling at him. "Well, you have done that for me several times. I guess it was time I returned the favor."

After taking of his polyester clothes, Chester got into the bed and somehow manage to put an arm's length between himself and Abby. It was a wonder that he didn't fall off the edge. Abby understood he was nervous, she was too but not as much. She softly stroked his cheek and even thou he kept his eyes closed she could tell he wasn't asleep because he smiled when she touched him. When she saw him resting there so peacefully she thought on how different yet similar they were. Her mom was in the prime of her life, his was since long dead. Her dad had looked after her her entire life, his had forsaken him even before he was born. She too was a loner but at least she always had her brother, Chester never had anyone. They both lived secret lives but while hers was one of exciting adventures were good always triumphed over evil, his was one of torment and suffering were everything was taken away from him. The results were a strong independent girl and a timid boy that was broken yet with so much love for a world that hadn't return it. Well, no more!

Abby managed to snake her arms around Chester's body and brought him close to her. Startled, Chester opened his eyes wide and discovered his nose buried in the croak of Abby's neck but he soon closed them again when a new feeling washed over him, one he hadn't felt since his mom was alive. He felt safe.

"_It will be okay Chester. I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you."_ Abby whispered kindly yet determined to him.

Chester couldn't hold it in anymore. He cried softly onto her chest. Seven long years of fear and loneliness was finally over.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**O my god, you have no idea how long I have been waiting to write this chapter. This is the chapter were I lay out Chester's entire backstory. I wanted Chester's backstory to be sad but realistic, like something that could actually happen (except for the Kid Rot-part of course). I took some inspiration from **_**Nagasha's **_**Grossology story **_**'The Breakfast Club.' **_**If you guys haven't read it yet you definitely should because it is really good. As you can see Chester still can't see how much Abby loves him since he has lived his entire life with the notion that no one can ever love him. He still hasn't broken that preconception so there is still a lot of character development for Chester. This chapter was thin on action but thick on dialog. I love reading stories that are just characters talking but man, is it difficult to write without making it boring. Hopefully it was interesting enough. We also finally get to know who Thomas Humus from chapter 9 was. He was Chester's grandpa. **

**I am really excited to hear what you guys thought about the backstory I created for Chester. Your reviews are greatly appreciated. **

**Ps. The first chapter/prolog of '**_**Grossology: Evolution' **_**is up now. I recommend all of you to check it out. It will be the second multi-chapter Grossology fanfic I will write so if you like this you will probably enjoy that one too (although these two stories are completely separate from one another). **


	16. Only A Few Layers are Rotten

**Chapter 16:** **Only A Few Layers are Rotten **

The sun shined thru Abby's bedroom window, casting its light over the new couple under the blankets. Chester has went out of REM sleep but he was still not awake. Yet, he knew in the back of his mind that Abby was still there, watching over him, protecting him. He could not remember a night when he had slept better. He had had no nightmares or chills, just deep lovely sleep. He started to feel something warm and soft in front of him. He didn't knew what it was but he knew he liked it. It reminded him a bit of those hugs his mother used to give him so many years ago. He unconsciously wrapped his arms around the heat source and pressed his body against it. The blond boy nuzzled into it while making tiny happy moans.

The sound of a sharp gasp spurred both teens awake and they jumped apart. Abby looked at him with scared, confused eyes. The same kind of eyes his grandpa gave him when he couldn't recognize him, the same ones his so called friends gave him right before they turned on him. It broke his heart to see those eyes on Abby. Would she also turn on him? Had she figured out what happened last night was a mistake? He averted her eyes from her blue ones as he pulled in his limbs, almost like he tried to make himself smaller.

Abby had slept so well that she had almost forgotten Chester was there, she felt safe in his company. It was only at the end when Chester had become way too grabby and nuzzled her boobs that she was startled. It was not in Chester's character to take advantage of a girl like that so Abby understood that it was an unconscious mistake. Looking at him now, she was reminded of everything that happened last night. How they had opened up to one another, how she was his now and how he was hers. She bent forward with the intent to hug and kiss her new boyfriend.

"ABBY!" Her mother hollered from beyond the walls, interrupting their moment. "I am going to work now and your father is at work to so you'll be alone for a while…and _don't _sleep the entire day."

Abby then felt an odd odor. She smelled her arm and realized she was what smelled so bad. That was when she remembered that she hadn't showered since she came home. Her skin was coated with sweat and LabRat's termite-hormones. "I guess I don't smell very nice." She said blushing.

"Hu, no you smell good." Chester said but even he had started noticing the stench, although Chester was used to smells much worse so it didn't bother him too much.

"I will just take a quick shower." Abby gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and ran out of the room but it was too late, the damage was already done.

'_Awe Abby, why did you look at me like that? Will you leave me too now? Did you realize that last night was a mistake? I was stupid to think you could ever be mine.'_

In a state of panic Chester decided to leave. He got of the bed, put on his polyester clothes and exited the room. He could hear the sound of the shower further down the hallway. Chester tiptoed thru the hallway as not to be heard before rushing down the stairs and to the front door. He reached for the doorknob but when he grabbed the handle he hesitated.

What was he really going back to?

He didn't want to go back to the orphanage. He didn't want to go back to the life were nobody loved him, were the only human contact he got was harassment by better men. The image of Abby in his nightmare flashed in his mind.

His shoulders slumped against the door and he started sobbing. _'I didn't run from her when she wanted to hurt me but when she is actually nice to me I try to run away. What is wrong with me?'_

He turned around and rested his back against the door, letting out a distraught sigh. From the hall he could see the sofa in the living room. His body was still a bit numb from the night and the sofa looked so welcoming. As he walked towards the aforementioned furniture he couldn't help to appreciate the look of the house. It was homely, like the home he was once promised.

Once, and only _once _had Chester been to an adoption interview. A young, newly married couple had come to Greenbottle's orphanage. They said they were interested in adopting Chester. The interview had gone like a dream. The couple seemed like nice people, the man had called Chester an intelligent and well-mannered young man and the woman gushed over how cute he was. For a boy with no loved ones and no friends, that thought the world had given up on him it felt like being in heaven. The couple left with promises that they would call them back. Young Chester's mind was filled with hopeful expectations. He would soon be in a large house with his own room, loving parents that could comfort him and maybe there would even be kids in this new neighborhood that would want to be friends with him. For a short time Chester was happy. Then, when the couple called they said they weren't interested anymore. No reasons were given. Chester was devastated. For three days he did nothing but lie in his bed, refusing to eat anything.

'_Of course they wouldn't adopt me. They could never have loved me…' _Chester thought as he laid down on the sofa. _'…no one can love me.'_

People had even said so. They mocked him by saying that he would never be adopted for the same reasons why he would never have any friends, because he was a weak, ugly creep that preferred picking flowers over kicking a football. The worst part was that they seemed to be right. No one since wanted to adopt him and just as many wanted to befriend him. It didn't matter how many times at night Chester repeated the words _'I am a good person.' _They were just words and reality proved the opposite. Most of the people that bullied him on a daily basis had friends and parents to go home to. Some of them even had girlfriends. For whatever reason they deserved love in all its forms while Chester didn't. Maybe they were right to treat him the way they did. After all, if people couldn't see the good in him, did it even exist?

'_Am I really such a bad person?'_

'_Of course you are. You have been to two different orphanages and gone to three different schools. Do you really think the fault lied with all those hundreds of people?'_

'_But Abby is different. She promised to never leave me and she-she is a good person. She was even willing to sacrifice herself for me.'_

'_Doesn't matter! The problem lies in you. You cause people to turn against you because you are like toxin to them.'_

Tears rolled down Chester's face.

"Chester?"

Chester turn to see Abby. Her long hair was still wet from the shower and she wore her normal clothes. She looked concerned. "Wha-what happened? Why are you crying?"

He sat up, taking in her beauty. "Abby?" His voice was sad. "Did-did what happened last night _really _happen?"

"What do you mean?" She asked and took a step closer.

Chester wiped away a few tears with his sleeve. "I mean…was the things that happened last night a-a mistake?"

Abby could almost hear her heart shatter like fragile glass. The backside of her eyes stung. _'Do not cry Abby, not in front of him.' _"How-how can you even ask me that, after all the things we told each other?" She sounded genuinely hurt.

"Abby, I-I don't understand." Chester said with a thick throat that made every word painful. He started crying again. "My entire life people have treated me like dirt, like I was something-something lesser than them. They made up rumors about how I liked digging around in the insides of roadkill, how I raped a girl, that I was an orphan cause I-I drove my mom to suicide, that I was a psychopath that would end up in a mental hospital one day. None of those rumors were true but if people hated me so much that they believed in them I must be a bad person. It is the only reason I can see why everyone I care about turns against me."

Abby stared at him, distraught. Her moth was agape, her lower lip vibrated and her eyes moisten. "You-you don't even see it, do you? You can't even see everything that is so great about you?" Her voice was an amalgam of anger, sadness and admiration.

"Chester, you saved me from Kid Rot, you stood up to Paige for me, you comforted me when I was sad, you are always there for me and thanks to you starvation will be a thing of the past one day. Sure, you might have had _somewhat _selfish motives but don't tell me you never thought about all the starving people! Don't tell me that cause I know you, Chester!"

The scrawny boy turned his gaze away from her. It was true, he hadn't just thought about himself when he worked on Project Ernutet. He had laid a thought or two to the poor people of Africa and southern Asia. He could even recollect some moments when had been completely altruistic, like last night. He had genuinely thought that any chance he had with Abby had slipped thru his fingers, he had come here merely out of concern for her.

"Then…why have everyone treated me like the plague until I meet you and Ty and why are you any different?" Chester asked, genuinely confused.

Abby got on her knees in front of him and placed her arms on his lap. Chester blinked surprised, he wasn't used at looking down at people. "Chester, I am not going to say for certain why people avoid you." Abby started. "I wasn't there at Greenbottle when it all started but I have noticed that you are sad very often and that is very understandable considering what happened to you and your family but it sadly does ostracize you. People usually don't want to talk to people that are depressed, most have full up with their own problems." She explained heavyhearted. "But I am different because I know you. I can see past all the gloom and see the true you and the true you is wonderful. As for the bullies, they are just looking for anything, anything to drag you down. They do it to me and they do it to you and they do it because we are different but that doesn't mean either of us is anything lesser. You are smart enough to get that. You should never believe that someone will just automatically hate you just because you have had some bad experiences," She smiled up at him, "because I will always be here to prove the opposite." She laid her cheek against his knee, closing her eyes. "I know it must be hard but you are the strongest person I know."

Abby's words made sense to Chester. He had been depressed after losing his mom and that depression just grew as people bullied him. He had tried to make contact with people but after being burned so many times he just didn't dare trying anymore, at least not until he meet Abby. But there was still reasons for him to believe he was as bad as everyone had convinced him. His _thoughts_, his daydreams about severely hurting the ones that bullied him. "You don't know me as well as you think, Abby."

Abby stood up and placed her hands on her hips. Her expression had turned sour again. "What are you talking about now?" She sounded a bit angrier than she meant to be but she was frustrated over Chester's self-hatred.

'_Why am I even telling her this? Why am I so eager to make her hate me?' _"I have these…thoughts, daydreams about…hurting people. Killing them even." He admitted with a defiant gleam in his eyes, he seemed determined to prove her wrong for some reason.

"Which people?" Abby asked startled.

"The…the bullies, like Kent and the other ones that call me names and pushed me up the wall and spread rumors about me." Chester replied halfheartedly. He felt terrible about admitting his true horrible self to the only girl that had ever liked him but there was a small (microscopic) victory smile far back in the darkest corner of his mind.

Abby stared silently at her boyfriend, her lips shifted to a lopsided grimace. "So? I think about those things too."

Chester was shocked. His eyes grew large, making his tearstained cheeks so much more evident. "What?"

The redhead shrugged a bit nonchalantly. "Yeah. Don't you think I am thinking about smashing Paige's head against the wall until her brain spills out, if she has one? And what about Insectiva? After what she did to Ty I was actually thinking on breaking into Splatticus State Prison and break her neck for what she did before you came here."

"But-but how? You-you are a wonderful person Abby, a hero, an-an angel." Chester stammered confused.

Abby couldn't help to blush at his compliment. "I don't know if everyone has dark thoughts Chester but I know most people does, even the kindest. The important thing is to not act on them because then you truly does become a bad person. That would be especially tragic if it happens to someone as nice as you."

Chester sniffled a little before looking up at Abby with the largest genuine smile and cheeks blushing. "You-you really think I am nice?"

Abby smiled blissfully at him. This was one of the reasons why she loved him so much. Most guys would react like that if they were called handsome, smart or talented but Chester reacted like this over simply being called nice. To him there was no greater compliment. "Yes, yes I do." She nodded and sat next to him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "The nicest, cutest, sweetest guy ever." She said with a relieved giggle in the back of her throat.

'_How can she make me feel so good so fast?' _

He wrapped his arms around her. Abby liked the way Chester touched her, especially how his arms made her shirt scratch against her skin, almost like he tried to gather up as much of her as possible. "Aww Abby, you have no idea how long I have felt positively awful about myself. You are my angel. I promise I will be the best boyfriend I can be. I will be really nice to you and I'll do anything you say-"

"NO!" Abby exclaimed and pushed him of her, still holding him by the shoulders. "Chester, I don't want you to just do all I want. I want you to be with me because you also want too."

After being a bit startled Chester smiled, tilting his head to the side. He liked what Abby offered. A relationship on equal terms, not at all like what he had with Kid Rot. _'Quickly, think of something funny.'_

"Okay. Whatever you say."

"That's just what I mea-Ooo." Abby started laughing, first a short giggle than full on laughing. She couldn't control herself.

To Chester, Abby was always beautiful but there was just something special to see her laughing. It was like she was enveloped by a heavenly glimmer. The sight alone was enough to make his heart slow down its beats. It made him do something completely out of character. He grabbed Abby by the shoulders, abruptly making her stop laughing. He then latched onto her lips with his own. Abby moaned into the kiss. Her tong begged for entrance into him and he allowed it. This was only their third kiss but it was easily their best one yet because this time they were both equally precipitating. Abby wrapped her arms around his neck as their kissing become more heated. Maybe a bit _too _heated. Before they knew it, Abby had toppled backwards and Chester fell atop of her, their foreheads bumped against each other.

"Ouch." They exclaimed at the same time. They then stared at one another before starting laughing. Their laughs soon subsided into happy sighs and Chester cuddled up next to her, his head resting atop her chest. She smelled of peach-shampoo from the shower. He found it very calming.

'_She likes me. She is really nice and she likes me." _Chester thought happily. He hadn't been genuinely happy since his mom was alive. There was still worries about the future of their relationship but there was no more doubts in his mind that this was real, that this was really happening.

Abby stroked her fingers thru Chester's long blond hair. She knew that traditionally this probably looked wrong if anyone saw them. Usually it would be the girl that laid on top of her boyfriend but looking at Chester's peaceful face and feeling such bliss, she knew that this was right, that this was them.

There of course _one _situation when the guy was supposed to be atop (from a traditional stance). Feeling a bit nervous, Abby double-checked where Chester had his head and limbs on her.

His cute face rested high on her chest, above her collar bone. His arm covered her abdomen and ended just a bit below her armpit. It pressed very lightly on her body. His knee and foot rested easy upon one of her legs. There was nothing sexual about it. Abby felt a bit silly. _'Great Abby, you finally have a boyfriend and you are already more perverted than he is.'_

"Abby?" Chester broke the silence.

"Yes, Chester?" She replied.

"Do you want to know when I first fell in love for you?" He asked. Abby didn't answer but her throat made a pleased hymn which Chester took as a yes. "It was that night after I had turned into-I mean when Kid Rot possessed me." He quietly chuckled, happy he could finally separate himself from that monster. "Ty was right, I was dangerous but you didn't care. You held out your hand to me and told me that you were my friend. That was when I knew there was something special about you. My feelings for you were so strong that for a second I actually managed to break the parasites control." Chester's smile dropped. "I-I am sorry I wasn't strong enough to break thru."

"Don't apologize Chester. I…I am sorry I ever gave up on you." Abby said honestly with the voice filled with guilt.

"Don't be. I am here now and I am so happy." Chester sighed happily and buried his face in her shirt.

They suddenly heard the front door open and close. "Hello, I am home now!" A friendly voice called from the hallway.

Abby &amp; Chester sat up and looked at each other. They knew that voice all too well. "Ty!" They simultaneously exclaimed and hurried out of the living room.

Abby was of course the first to reach the hallway were Ty was clumsily taking of his second shoe. Before he knew it, Abby had taken him in her arms and swung him happily around. "Ty, you are okay! You are okay!" She exclaimed.

"Well, you know, it takes more than heart failure caused by a genetically altered nerve venom to keep me down." Ty joked.

Abby released him. "So, you are fine now?"

"Pretty much." Ty shrugged carefree.

Chester carefully stepped up to Ty. "Good to see you are okay, Ty."

"Chester?" Ty hadn't even noticed Chester's presence. "Why are you here?" He asked puzzled.

The blond boy scratched his hand. "Abby was worried about you so I came here to-to comfort her."

Ty smirked mischievously at his sister. "So you were 'worried'about me?" He said teasingly, putting weight on the word _worried._

Abby pouted in annoyance for a second before giving him the same mischievous smirk. "Of course I was. If I lose you which annoying dork should I pick on then?" The two then laughed. Chester found their sibling teasing endearing. It was so different from the teasing he endured at school. It seemed completely lacking in animosity.

Ty jerked his head towards Chester. "Him maybe?"

"No way, he is way too cute." Abby's reply made the entire room fall silent.

Ty gave her a weird look. "Ookaay…" He said awkwardly with the side of his mouth. "Well, I should make some breakfast."

"Didn't eat anything at the gaglab, eh?" Abby asked humorously.

"Since LabRat stores the food in the same fridge as his petri dishes, I was not willing to take the risk." Ty retorted which earned a small giggle from Chester.

"Okay, but hurry up. I have a something amazing to tell you." Abby said, genuinely excited.

"Alright." Ty said before heading towards the kitchen and then Abby and Chester saw something that made all their optimism fade away. Ty was halting, practically dragging his right leg after him. It was almost heartbreaking seeing the usually energetic boy halting yet still keeping up that familiar smile.

Ty felt their gazes upon him. He turned his head towards them. He rolled his eyes as if they were being silly. "Hey, I got stung by a giant wasp. I won't be kicking footballs right out of sickbed. LabRat said my leg will heal in a few days." Ty stated without hardship.

"If you want I can make breakfast for you." Abby suggested softly. She was actually surprised herself over how nice she sounded. Even other times when Ty was vulnerable she would be at least a bit of a teaser. _'It must be Chester that is making me into such a softie.' _

Ty humorously smirked. "Nah, but you can make the dishes." He turned his attention back to the kitchen, searching for good breakfast.

Abby and Chester stayed in the hallway. "Wow, poor Ty." Chester said regretfully.

"Yeah. But at least he still has his annoying attitude." Abby said with her arms across her chest.

"Abby? Are you really going to tell Ty about us?" Chester asked shyly.

Abby smiled and took his hands, gently squeezing them. "Of course Chester. I am proud to be your girlfriend and I want people to know how happy I am."

Chester's face lit up with joy.

* * *

Ty made himself breakfast and sat down in the living room. _'The poison didn't halt his large apatite.' _Abby noted as Ty's breakfast consisted of a bowl of sugary cereals, a cheese and ham sandwich, a fried egg directly from the pan and a glass of orange juice. Since Abby and Chester hadn't eaten anything either they too decided to eat but Chester's was a lot more modest. A simple ham sandwich on white (but he would have preferred dark bread) and a glass of milk. His gut still had a hard time to digest anything with too much fat or carbon without getting a stomach ache, even thou it would probably be good for him. While Chester was still taking mouse-sized bites of his sandwich Ty was already finished with his bowl of cereals. His eating was only punctuated when Abby said she and Chester was now a couple. That caused him to cough up his orange juice. Despite that, Ty was very much in favor of their relationship. He had noticed the sparks between them early on and knew they would be happy together (Ty did have a romantic side after all). He just felt a bit sad for Andy. The chubby geek had had a crush on his sister for a while and he hoped he wouldn't take it too hard.

"Well, I'm done." Ty stated and cleaned his hands on a paper-towel. "Time to get some homework done. Once again, congratz to the relationship." He took his empty bowl and glass and went to the kitchen to dish them.

Abby bit her bottom lip, contemplating something. "Wait here a second." She told Chester before rushing after her brother. She caught him in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes.

"Hey sis, you came to make my dishes." Ty joked.

"I came to ask you a favor." She said in a somewhat serious tone.

"Um, sure. What do you want?" Ty asked puzzled. He hazily laid the bowl in the sink and turned off the water.

"I wondered if you could ask Chester to play videogames with you." Abby replied.

Ty blinked surprised. "Um, why?"

"Ty, Chester is the greatest guy I know but he got low self-esteem. I just…I just want him to feel wanted." Abby explained, sounding sympathetic.

Ty was perplexed. It often surprised him how awesome people like Andy and Naomi could have such low self-esteem while people like Paige seem to have so much of it that it poured out of their ears. Why would a guy like Chester that made such great contribution to humanity have poor self-esteem? "Sure, no problems Abby. I'll gladly play video-games with the guy." Ty exclaimed happy.

The long-haired girl smiled. "Thank you."

"As long as you play too."

"Oh great." She muttered.

Ty and Abby walked back to Chester in the living room. "Hey Chester, I wondered if you would like to play some video-games in my room? I got several of the latest ones." Ty joyfully said.

Chester immediately got on his feet with an excited grin. "You-you really want to play with me?"

"Yes."

Chester nervously rubbed his hands. "I haven't played any video-games since I was a kid. I don't think I would be very good at it."

"That alright. I'll give you a few pointers, which doesn't mean I will go easy on you." Ty stated with a smirk.

And so did they went upstairs to play video-games. Abby held onto Chester's arm and rested her head against his shoulder all the way to Ty's room.

* * *

Later that day, Abby and Chester was making out on her bed (well, training on making out anyway). The day had been spend playing video-games, talking about everything and nothing and cuddling. Abby sat atop of Chester as she moved her lips over his. She was certainly the more dominant one but Chester wasn't lazy. His hands roamed over her back, feeling her perfect hourglass shaped form. He trusted Abby to tell him if he touch any _inappropriate_ areas but he still kept to touching her shoulder blades, her small and her sides.

'_She is so…organic.' _He thought.

"I am home!" Petunia's voice echoed thru the house. "I have bought groceries so I need your help!"

The couple jumped apart. "Mom is home." Abby happily exclaimed and pulled Chester out of the bed. "Come on. I want to tell her about us."

"Are you sure? What if she doesn't approve? Chester asked while nervously scratching his arm.

"Yes! I already have to keep one huge aspect of my life secret from her, I don't want another one." Abby replied sternly but Chester still seemed nervous and she could understand why. For whatever reason people had never been accepting of Chester in any situation. What would someone say if they heard he was interested in dating their daughter? Abby smiled and took his hand to comfort him. "Hey, remember what I said. Don't just assume that people will hate you. I am certain my mom will approve and even if she doesn't I will still go out with you."

Chester gently squeezed her soft hand with both his hands. It calmed him. "Okay." He nodded.

* * *

Once down in the kitchen, they saw Petunia placing two large, obviously heavy grocery bags on the bench. She let out a relieved sigh. Ty exited thru the front door.

"I get the last one mom." He politely exclaimed as he walked out.

Abby walked up to her mom as she was unpacking the groceries. Chester held his girlfriend's hand but still walked a step behind her. "Mom, I have something to tell you. Something really, _really good." _Abby announced with a large grin.

Petunia turned towards them and changed her tiered expression on a dime to a genuine smile. "Really? What is that sweetie?" Her eyes slightly glanced at their interconnected hands.

"I asked Chester to be my boyfriend…and he said yes." Abby practically squealed. Chester was not as enthusiastic. He carefully stepped out from behind Abby. He tried to stand straight like the brave man Abby deserved, he really did but he still lowered his head in submission.

'_I am an 18 year old man yet I am scared of this sweet woman that wouldn't hurt a fly (she studies them actually). God, I am a coward.'_

"I am so happy for you sweetheart. I am sure you will be happy with him." Petunia gingerly stated with that motherly smile that so often graced her face.

Chester looked up at her. Partly happy, partly confused. "You-you mean you-you approve?"

Petunia's smile tugged a bit at the boy's nervousness. "Of course. I trust my daughter's judgment and you seem to be a very nice young man." She answered honestly.

"He is mom, he really is." Abby said giddy and locked her arms around his neck. "And he is funny, and strong and he is the smartest guy I know." Abby stated enthusiastically while almost jumping on her toes and pressing her face against his neck. She was really happy and she wanted her mom to see how much this meant to her.

Chester didn't really know what to say. He never thought he would find himself in this kind of situation. "I-I don't know about that." He said to Abby, then turned his attention to her mom. "Thank you. Your daughter means the world to me so I am very grateful for being allowed to date her." He didn't really know if it was the right thing to say but it sounded good, it came from the heart.

Petunia tilted her head a bit. "He is a real charmer too, isn't he?"

"Yeah." Abby said and kissed him on the cheek that quickly blushed red like a tomato.

"Do you want to stay over for dinner Chester?" Petunia asked. "We will be having tacos. It won't be for a few hours but if you don't have to go anytime soon you are free to join us."

Chester looked to the floor before looking back at her. Abby's arms let go of him. "I don't want to be a bother." He said quietly.

"Oh, you are not. Any friend or boyfriend of Abby is welcomed at our dinner table, anytime." Petunia replied nonchalantly.

Chester smiled, a genuine one. His hand found one of Abby's dangling close to him and he interlocked their fingers. "I'm not going anywhere Mrs. Archer."

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**Every chapter comes with its own unique set of challenges. The challenge in this chapter was, how do I make Chester vulnerable without making him pathetic or whiney? Well, it's up to every reader to tell if I succeeded or not but I tried to put emphasis on not just how sad Chester is but also how confused he is over the entire situation. Also, Chester didn't came to Abby to lay all of his problems on her. She came to him. I like to think of their relationship as an anti-depression pill. The previous chapter was Abby giving him the pill, this is the chapter were he swallows it. The coming chapters will be the pill taking effect. **

**There were also a few things I ended up cutting from this chapter. First was the breakfast scene with Abby, Ty and Chester which I ended up just rushing thru. The reason was that I just couldn't find a way to make it interesting. It was pretty much a given that Ty would be accepting of their relationship since I have already established him andChester to be on good terms. I also cut out the mentioned taco dinner with the Archers since all I had planned for that was reestablish fact you all already knew. **

**A few names were mentioned here that you guys might not remember. Kent. Kent is the name of the big bully with black hair that picks on Chester. I had even forgotten his name myself for a long time. His name was only mentioned once in the show (the episode Hiresuit Yourself). Another thing I mentioned was Splatticus State Prison. Splatticus State Prison is the prison were all of the Grossology villains go to after being captured. It is actually very similar to Arkham Asylum in the Batman universe (so maybe it should be called Splatticus State Asylum). **

**Your reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	17. Adapting to Flourish

**Chapter 17: Adapting to Flourish **

"Really Abby, I wouldn't mind keeping our relationship a secret in school." Chester shyly stated while he absentmindedly twiddled his thumbs. He and Abby was currently sitting on the buss, heading to school. Ever since last Friday the two had been like attached by the hips, getting to know each other better and falling further in love.

Abby smirked and crossed her arms, leaning back in her seat. "Why? I have the hottest boyfriend in school and I want to flaunt it in the other girls' faces."

Abby's confidence was one of the things Chester loved about her but he had real reasons to be nervous. "Really Abby, I am being serious. Everyone that has ever associated with me has been treated poorly. I just don't want people to mistreat you." He sounded genuinely concerned.

Abby tilted her head, feeling her heart flutter. "Awe, that's sweet of you to worry about me but I have associated with you since you started at Ringworm. The only difference now is that we are more than friends," she cupped one of his cheeks, "and I am not ashamed of it." She closed the gap between them and kissed him. Chester being an inexperienced kisser tried to match her every move.

"Aw, come on." Ty exclaimed irritated from the seat behind them. First time he saw them kiss he thought it was cute, second time he rolled his eyes, now it starting to seriously gross him out. "You two suck more face than a lamprey attached to a whale. Can you not get a room or something?"

Abby gave her brother a sneer. "If you don't like it you don't have to watch. Go and make out with Naomi or something." She shooed away her brother and continued making with Chester.

Ty growled, crossed his arms and leaned back in his seat. _'Hopefully this is just a phase and she go back to her normal unromantic self.' _Ty thought annoyed but at heart he was glad that his sister was happy.

* * *

As the couple walked hand-in-hand down the school corridor they noticed how everyone was staring at them. Granted, neither Abby nor Chester was very popular but blossoming romances always caused a ruckus among the students, no matter who was involved. The gossipers would have a field day with this.

Chester tried to seem fearless by walking more straight than usual but Abby could tell how nervous he was. His lips were like a motionless line drawn in ice, his steps were stiff and his hand squeezed hers rather harshly for comfort. Abby understood why he was so nervous. Whenever people had stared at him before it was usual because they wanted to hurt him, yet she knew this was for the best. Seeing that she wasn't ashamed of their relationship would hopefully boost his self-esteem.

Once they reached Chester's locker Abby swirled him around, grabbed his color and kissed him passionately. All of Chester's fears vanished and he melted, moaned into the kiss. When Abby slowly pulled away from the kiss Chester had a shy smile between a pair of pink cheeks. "What brought that on?"

Abby snickered lightly. "Can't I kiss my boyfriend whenever I feel like it?" She teased him. Chester tilted his head a bit and his smile grew.

Then Paige and her cronies entered the scene. "Congratulations Abby, he is just the kind of guy I always thought you would end up with." Paige sarcastically mocked and laughed at her own wit.

Chester's smile dropped and he downheartedly look to the floor. _'Oh, now it's happening. People will mistreat poor Abby because of me. I am terrible for her.' _

Abby smirked at her long time rival. "Thank you Paige. I am very happy with Chester but that Paige-like snarkyness of yours made it sound like an insult." She quipped.

"It was an insult, Archer." Paige spat, annoyed that her sarcasm didn't bite.

"I think you are just jealous." Abby boldly stated.

Now it was Paige that looked completely offended. "I am so not jealous. If you want to date the only homeless person allowed on school premises, go ahead."

"Thank you, I will." Abby happily exclaimed.

Paige grinned her teeth. Abby should be flustered by now but she wasn't and it irritated her. "Abby, you are such a loser. You have probably only hooked up with Chester cause he is as good as you ever gonna get. A whimpering, stinky geek!"

"Chester is as good as _any _girl can get and if you could get your head out of your growing ass you would be able to see that." Abby argued.

Paige sighed annoyed and rolled her eyes. "You just can't stop humiliating yourself, can't you Archer? You are the only girl I know would even touch that dork." She tried to sound dominant but she really just sounded childish and blustered. Abby smirked and Paige huffed before walking away along with her friends.

Abby sneered after her until she felt Chester's arms wrap themselves around her midsection. Chester rested his cheek against her shoulder blade and sighed happily. "Abby, you are the best."

The redhead blushed and patted one of Chester's arms. "I try."

* * *

Later that day, Chester washed his hands in the boys' bathroom after having done his business.

"Hey, you!"

Chester turned to the source of the voice. It was two boys. One of them was no stranger, it was his old tormentor Kent. The other one he didn't know the name off but he had seen him around. A popular blond boy from the school's newspaper.

"You are Abby's new boyfriend, right?" The blond one asked with a fierce expression.

"Um…" Chester grabbed a paper towel and started cleaning his hands. Partly to get dry, partly so they wouldn't notice him nervously stroking his hands. "Yeah, yes I am."

"Have you humped her yet?" Kent smirked. The blond one gave him a sneer.

"What?" Chester gasped.

"Have you fucked her yet?" Kent's smirk grew more malicious.

Chester crumbled the paper towel and tossed in the trashcan. He really didn't want to answer but he knew if he ignored them they would just get aggravated and the conflict would escalate. "No." He mumbled, barely audible.

"You going too?" Kent asked mockingly.

Chester had had enough. "Leave me alone." He hissed and tried to circle around them but the blond one grabbed his shirt and forced him up against the wall.

"Listen you little shit. I don't know what you are up too but I know what kinda creep you are. Whatever you did to make Abby like you, you better not hurt her! Get it?"

"Don't touch me!" Chester swiped the guy's hand off him but the guy gripped his wrist and forcefully bended his arm backwards. Chester shrieked in pain. The taller blond then drove his knee up into his belly. Chester fell to the floor, moaning and clutching his abdomen.

"Are you sure you want to lie on the floor. It has been flooded quite a few times you know." Kent snickered before he and his comrade left the bathroom.

Waiting until they had left, Chester rose up. He rotated his arm a bit. It didn't hurt too much. He then pulled up his sleeve. His wrist did have a red bruise where his aggressor had clenched him but it was quickly fading.

'_Good. Abby don't need to know I was beaten up because of our relationship.' _He thought and looked at himself in the mirror_. _He sighed depressed. _'As long as they don't treat her the same I can take anything.'_

* * *

Chester looked out over the school cafeteria. His eyes searched for his girlfriend but he couldn't se her. His cellphone buzzed so he picked it up. The SMS was from Abby.

_Got called to work. Sorry :(_  
_See me after volleyball practice? :) _

He smiled a bit. _'It is like she knows when I miss her.' _He thought and typed her back.

_Positive. :)_

He then grabbed a food tray and loaded it with a glass of water and a plate with today's lunch which was rice with chili con carne. Then he searched for a place to sit down. He saw a table with only one girl sitting at it. It was Naomi.

He remembered last time he tried to talk to her. It wasn't a hostile first encounter, it was just awkward. Since he and Abby became a couple Abby had told him that he shouldn't just assume that people would dislike him and that sometimes people need time to get used to him. Maybe there still was a chance to befriend Naomi. Ty did say she was nice and so far she hadn't shown any animosity towards him.

Chester walked up to her and cleared his throat. "He-hey!" He greeted friendly.

Naomi looked up at him. "Hello."

"Is it alright if I sit here?" He asked.

"Sure." Naomi replied with a nod.

Feeling his courage growing a bit, Chester sat down in the chair across from her. "You are Naomi, right?"

Naomi nodded with her mouth filled with green salad.

"I'm Chester. You might remember me, Abby and Ty introduced us a few weeks ago." Chester exclaimed.

"Yes, I remember." Naomi replied. "You are Abby's boyfriend now, right?"

Chester smiled and blushed. "Yeah."

"That is so sweet. Abby is a great girl but for some reason she doesn't seem to have many friends." Naomi exclaimed.

Unlike the bullies from earlier, Naomi didn't seem hostile or mocking so Chester felt alright talking to her about Abby. "She always have Ty."

"That is true, and now she has you too. She is a lucky girl." Naomi said. There was something bittersweet about the way she sounded.

"I hope so." Chester said. After that there was a moment of awkward silence. Chester dug around in the rice for a bit, not really wanting to eat.

"So Naomi, about the first time we meet," Chester nervously scratched his neck, "I was just nervous about my first day, well not really my first day. I used to go here but I had to leave because of personal reasons and I have had a bad time since then and-I'm sorry. I must sound like a freak." He finished his ramble, looking sad.

"No, no. It's alright. I was afraid I had done something." Naomi reassured him.

Chester shook his head. "No."

"Then let's start over."

"Alright." Chester nodded. He once again tried to eat but still took no delight in it.

"Is something wrong with the food?" Naomi asked softly.

"I'm sure it's good but…well, remember I said I had had a bad time lately. Well, that bad time included a period of starvation. So, I guess my stomach hasn't readjusted to process food with much acid or fat yet. I know it's not bad for me but whenever I eat I get a stomach ache." Chester explained.

Naomi looked at him with large sympathetic eyes. Hearing that immediately tugged her heartstrings. "Awe, I'm sorry. Here, you can have some of my salad." She pushed her salad box across the table.

Chester smiled brightly. "It's very nice of you but no thanks."

Naomi pulled back her salad box. "So, why were you starving?"

"I-I rather not say." Chester said mournfully and scratched his hand.

"That's okay." Naomi said comforting before smiling a bit. "It was Ty and Abby that saved you from that, right?"

"Yes, yes it was. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't even be able to be here." Chester replied.

"Falling in love with your hero. I know what that's like." Naomi said blushing and lowered her face to below her shoulders.

Chester raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing." Naomi replied.

"Well, why don't you eat the food here? Are you a vegetarian?" Chester asked.

"No, I eat meat from time to time but…" Naomi made a nervous pause. "There's tomato in this. I am allergic to tomato."

"Oh." Chester vented.

"…and onions and dairy and chocolate and flowers and fish and dust. I'm pretty much allergic to everything." Naomi admitted.

"I'm sorry to hear that but at least that proves you are clean." Chester's statement caused Naomi to stare puzzled at him. _'Oh no! I said something incredible dumb.' _Chester thought and immediately tried to remedy the situation. "I mean, scientific research show that people with allergies have less harmful bacteria in their bodies so that shows you are…I should probably stop talking now."

Naomi giggled lightly. "You are funny." She said and then saw two of her friends walking into the cafeteria. One of them was an African-American with a pair of hair puffs. The other one was a brunette with glasses and braces. Naomi waved to them and they headed for the table.

"You want me to leave so you can talk to your friends?" Chester asked. Back in Greenbottle, the few people that tolerated him sometimes asked him to leave whenever their real friends arrived.

"No, you don't have to." Naomi said.

The two girls sat down. "Hey Naomi." The dark skinned girl greeted.

"Hey girls, this is Chester. Chester, this is Cait and Jasmine." Naomi said.

"Hey Chester." Cait, the black girl greeted friendly.

"Hey, how is it?" Jasmine, the girl with glasses asked.

"Just good." Chester replied.

What followed was a surprisingly pleasant lunchbreak for Chester. Naomi and her friends were nice people even thou Chester still felt that ostracism that he felt when he was with Ty and Andy. The difference was that now he understood why. It wasn't necessarily because of him but because these people had had a long time getting to know each other and was not used to his presence. In time they would but for the time this was serviceable for him.

* * *

Later that afternoon. Chester had just finished his last class and walked into the gymnasium to see the end of Abby's volleyball practice. He sat down on one of the bleachers. Abby saw him waved happily to him. Chester waved back before Abby went right back into the game. Abby was one of the schools leading gymnasts so it didn't surprise Chester she was really good at volleyball too. His eyes delightfully followed her body as it jumped, punched and ran over the stadium.

His peace was alarmingly disturbed when the gym teacher blow the whistle.

"Okay girls, that's enough for today. Hit the showers." The teacher ordered.

Abby gingerly ran up to her boyfriend. She was panting and sweaty to the point of having wet spots under her armpits but Chester thought she was as beautiful as ever. "Hey stranger. What are you doing here?" Abby cooed. She took his hands and kissed him.

Paige saw them and saw an opportunity to mock them "Look girls, Its _Dorko_thy &amp; the Scarecrow!" She shouted while pointing at the coupel and laughing. Paige and the rest of the volleyball team went into the shower room. Abby scowled but Chester kissed her cheek and her smile returned. She wrapped her arms around his neck and Chester placed his hands on her sides.

"No one else has been cruel to you today, right?" Chester asked softly.

"No." She replied in a quiet tone.

"Good." Chester sighed relieved.

Abby broke their embrace. "You want to follow me home later? We can hang out a little."

Chester was a bit hesitant to this suggestion. He did have a lot of homework to do but then again, how could he say no to her beautiful face? "Sure." He sighed happily.

"Great!" Abby jubilated, kissed him and ran off to the showers. Chester looked as she disappeared thru the door with a gushing smile.

* * *

Later at the Archer's house. Abby and Chester walked into Abby's room.

"So what do you wanna do?" Abby asked. "We can watch a movie or I have some CDs we could-_Wooh!" _She didn't manage to finish her sentence before Chester hugged her and after a few wobbly steps the two fell laughing onto Abby's bed.

"Sorry, I just really like touching you." Chester said and placed a small kiss on her temple.

"I like touching you too Chester." Abby said. She stared at his smiling, adoring face as it stared back at her. Then she got a bit timorous. _'What does he really mean by that?' _She quickly sat up on her knees.

Chester tilted his head, puzzled. "What is it Abby?"

Abby pouted, unsure of what she really wanted to say. While she certainly had more experience in relationships and romance than Chester, she was also pretty new to these things. Making personal boundaries clear would probably be a good idea. "Um Chester, I don't think I am ready to be…intimate with you." She proclaimed with her head lowered.

"What? No, of course not. Me neither, it wasn't what I meant." Chester almost panicked. He took her hand and squeezed it reassuringly. "I meant things like holding your hand and hugging you. Things like that."

Abby sighed relieved. "Oh that, you can do that as much as you want."

"Good." In a flash, Chester had wrapped his arms around her and pressed his cheek against hers. "Sorry for being so clingy. I guess that since it's been almost twelve years since anyone hugged me I am still not used to anyone being so comfortable with me."

Abby amusingly rolled her eyes. "Oh, how will I bare it?" She joked sarcastically before laughing and playfully pressed Chester down on her bed. She then got on top of her blushing boyfriend. She smirked and kissed his lips.

Chester smiled dreamily and lightly stroked her cheek. "Something really good happened today."

"Really? Tell me." Abby sounded curious.

"Remember that girl you and Ty introduced me to first day I returned to school?" He inquired.

Abby raised an eyebrow as she tried to remember. "Naomi?"

"Yes, her. I talked to her today during the lunchbreak and she seemed to enjoy my company." Chester stated.

"See, I told you people could like you. You just need to give them a chance." Abby gleefully exclaimed.

"It's all thanks to you Abby. If it weren't for you encouraging me I don't think I would even have dared talking to anyone. Maybe I and Naomi can be friends now." Chester suggested hopeful.

"Maybe." Abby replied before narrowing her eyes. "Just don't get too close to her. You might make Ty jealous and if she tries to steal you from me I'll break her legs."

Chester giggled, knowing Abby was being sarcastic. "Don't worry, I don't think there is a girl in the world that can tear me away from you."

Abby's smile tugged a bit. "You know, you should do that more often."

"What?" Chester asked confused.

"You might not know it Chester but you are really charming. Come on, try it. Pay me a compliment." Abby encouraged.

Chester plinked, confused and unsure. "You are beautiful."

Abby smirked and tilted her head. "Good but you can do better. Come on, I know you can do better." She encouraged.

Chester looked to his stomach, not knowing what to say. It wasn't that he didn't have any compliments to give, he had hundreds but until recently it had been vitally important to keep them a secret as to not make Abby feel uncomfortable and now she was asking him to tell her. Where to start? He went with the first thing that came to mind.

"You have a beautiful laughter."

Abby blushed. "Do I?"

"Yes. Whenever you laugh, I feel like…like everything is perfect." He sighed dreamily. Even though she wasn't laughing, remembering her laughter had the same effect on him. His breathing and heartbeats dropped down to a serene level. Then he let something slip, something he didn't want to admit. "You make my pain vanish."

Abby raised an eyebrow. "What pain?"

Chester arched his brows, realizing he had just revealed a major secret. He sat up and got some distance from Abby. "Um, nothing, just forget it." He tried to sound reassuring but it didn't soothe Abby.

She averted her gaze from Chester for a second before looking back at him. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to but remember when I told you that I am here for you? I want to help you." Abby reminded him and nuzzled her face in the croak of Chester's neck.

Chester felt more comfortable and figured that Abby would figure it out anyway so he could just as well tell her. "Well, I don't want to sound whiny but when you have been lonely as long as I have you start feeling certain pains. Sometimes it feels like someone has hollowed out my chest with an ice cream scoop. It makes me feel empty inside. Sometimes I have night chills. Those feels like long cold fingers that are stroking my back at night, reminding me of how alone I am. The worst is the ants."

"The ants?" Abby sounded perplexed. She stared at him with large sympathetic eyes.

"That's what I call them. It's when it feels as if tiny creatures are crawling under your skin, especially in your arms."

"And you have felt these things?"

"Yes, both before and after the parasite entered me but ever since you kissed me I haven't felt any of those things. I didn't want to tell you because, well, I know how nice you are and I didn't want you to be with me just cause you felt you had too." Chester admitted and tilted down his head. "Does it disturb you?"

"No Chester, it doesn't." Abby placed a finger under his chin to gently force him to look at her. "I am just sorry you had to feel those things and if I can help you feel better just tell me."

Chester smiled, cupped Abby's cheeks and kissed her deeply. Abby moaned in pleasure and toppled over. She and Chester made out for almost a solid minute before they had to break for air. Abby curled up next to him and rested her head on her boyfriend's chest.

"You know, the bureau do work with some psychiatrists over at Splatticus. I could set you up with one if you want to." Abby offered.

Chester thought about it. He knew it would probably be in his best interest to talk to an expert about his problems but at the same time it felt wrong to ask Abby for help, especially after she had done so much for him already. "Nah, its okay."

"As you wish." Abby simply said and decided to drop the subject.

"I should probably get back to the orphanage. I got homework to do." Chester said softly.

"Can't you stay just five more minutes?" Abby pleaded.

Chester's eyes glanced dreamily and he hymned. How could he deny his angel? "Alright, just five more minutes."

Chester ended up staying with her for fifteen minutes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**I'm back everybody!  
If you wonder why I haven't been able to upload any new material lately it's because my computer crashed so I had to turn it in to the shop to get it fixed. Sadly, all my saved material was erased so I have been busy trying to restore it. Well, what are ya gonna do?**

**As you can tell, this chapter had very little action or heavy drama. It is more or less just Chester adapting to his new life and his relationship (there-of the title) and the next two chapters will also be like this but we will slowly get back into darker territory again. So bare with me if you feel it's a bit boring for the moment.  
I decided to give Chester &amp; Naomi a moment together. Their friendship will come into play later in the story and I felt that since we never saw them interact in the show I thought it would be interesting to se them become friends. They do share a lot of traits so it figures they would get along.  
Naomi's friends are characters from the show. Cait is a background character that often hanged around Naomi but she never talked and we never got to know her name so I named her Cait in honor of Nagasha's OC Kat from his fanfic _The Breakfast Club. _Jasmine had a speaking role in the episode _The Insider _where she was part of Ty's robotbuilder-team. **

**I hope to get those two chapters out before the end of the year but I can't promise anything. **

**Your reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	18. The Knight in Yellow Slimesuit

**Chapter 18: The Knight in Yellow Slimesuit **

All Chester could see was the tick growth of trees that surrounded him as he ran thru this dark, misty swamp that never seemed to end. He wore nothing but rugged shirt and pants made of brown wool and shoes made of sheep-skin. The green water under him splashed in all directions when he ran thru this endless mangrove swamp. His throat hurt, his lungs hurt, his legs hurt but he had to continue running.

Behind him he could hear people shouting. "KILL HIM!" "HE HAS THE POX!" "A DEMON HAS POSESED HIM!" "GET HIM!"

Chester finally saw a small grassy knoll sticking up in the middle of the quagmire. He ran to it but when tried to climb it he slipped on the soft soil and fell face first. He slide down the hill, rolled onto his back and came face to face with his pursuers. They were all peasants he noticed. Wearing tunics, hoods and hoses. Some were old, others young but they all wore the same judgmental scowls on their faces. None of them would be satisfied until he was dead and buried.

"Okay, okay. Just kill me quickly." Chester cried.

One man stepped out of the crowd with a pitchfork. He raised it like a harpoon, ready to strike. Chester flinched and shut his eyes as he prepared for the end. He then heard the sound of metal hitting metal. Perplexed, he opened his eyes and saw Abby standing between him and the angry mob but a few things were different about her. A silvery cuirass covered her chest, a chainmail protected her arms and a tasset of dark leather hanged from her hips. Her hands gripped the hilt of a sword that almost as long as her body. She looked more like a knight than a Grossologist.

"You filthy animals. If you harm a hair on my prince's head I will cut off yours." She stoically proclaimed.

Two men in the mob looked puzzled at one another and then charged towards her with long javelins. Using her sword, Abby deflected their spears and with a singular swipe cut them over their chests. Their brown tunics' turned red from blood and they gruntingly retreated. The rest of the mob followed their example and disappeared into the misty wetlands.

Abby calmly stuck the blade into a sheath by her tasset before turning around to face Chester. "Is my lordship unharmed?"

Chester stared up at her. "I am very grateful for what you did but I am afraid my lady is mistaking. I am not a lord nor a prince. I am merely the son of a thrall."

"Not to me. To me you are a prince and as fair as any nobleman." Abby said with bright smile. She got down on one knee in front of Chester that still sitting on the grass. "My prince, it would be an honor to serve you. I'll give you my sword and my life if necessary." Abby faced the ground, as if her entire future was at Chester's mercy.

Chester awkwardly rose to his feet. "I don't want your sword Abby. I want you." Abby looked up at him as he offered her a hand. She took it and he helped her onto her feet. "Abby, I can't grant you any titles or riches but I can offer you my companionship…and my heart if you desire it?"

Abby looked perplexed for a moment before smiling lovingly. On the grassy little knoll the couple embraced one another before tenderly kissing.

"You should savoir those kisses my sweet. When I am done with you only worms may kiss you-kiss you." A dark voice echoed thru the woods. Terrified, the two let go of one another. They looked around but couldn't see anyone else. The voice was murky, like someone that had just climbed out of a grave and to Chester it was eerily familiar.

"Oh no. It can't be him. He is supposed to be dead." Chester could feel his legs shake of fear.

"The joke is on you. I am forever immortal and you as a stillborn-stillborn." The voice echoed again.

The trees around them died and shed their foliage. _"It is Kid Rot." _Chester whispered with whimpering lip. A darkness streaked thru the muddy water, leaving dead fish in its wake. The darkness came to a halt right in front of the couple. The water bubbled and then exploded as Kid Rot rose up. He was twice as tall now, his face looked more like a jack-o-lantern than anything that was ever human and instead of fingers he had long scythe-like claws.

"Remember me Chester? I am your better half." The demon smirked wickedly.

Abby cupped Chester's cheeks. "Stay here no matter what, my prince." She kissed his forehead and turned to face Kid Rot, drawing her sword out from her sheath.

Aggressive as ever, Kid Rot attacked. He swiped his claws at her but Abby blocked his weapon with her own. Temporarily surprised by her skills, Kid Rot was not ready for Abby's offense. She aggressively axed at him with her sword and he stepped backwards until he stood his ground and started countering her attacks with his own. One of Kid Rot's advancements completely missed and Abby saw her chance. Her sword cut right thru Kid Rot's skull. Blood and brain spilled out thru the open wound but he was not a normal man, he was Kid Rot after all.

His bloody face bared its teeth. He kicked her with enough force to send the female knight flying but Abby landed on one hand and flipped onto her feet. Kid Rot headed for Chester now but Abby quickly got between them.

Kid Rot shot her a one-sided smirk. "You really think you can protect him." His claws dug into the muddy swamp bottom and before anyone knew it, the grassy knoll that Chester was standing on sank into a sinkhole along with most of the swamp's water. Chester would have fallen in too but he managed to cling to the edge of the hole. Streaming water flushed his face, making him cough.

In a flash, Abby was by his side. "Chester!" She grabbed him and pulled him up to safety. "My love." She said and hugged him.

Chester saw Kid Rot approach from behind Abby. "Abby, look out!"

Abby turned around just as the demon launched at them. She pulled her sword and the momentum drove Kid Rot right thru the sword, impaling him. Kid Rot coughed blood. His long claws still grasped after Chester behind Abby but he couldn't reach. The life soon faded from the monster and he tumbled to the side. Kid Rot's body was about to fall into the pit but Abby still gripped her sword. She did not want to let go of her weapon.

Chester realized she would fall in too if she didn't let go. He laid a hand on her hand. "Please let go." He pleaded softly. Abby listened and reluctantly let go of the hilt. Kid Rot's corpse fell into the dark. "Are you okay Abby?" Chester asked concerned as he anxiously studied her body for injuries.

Abby smiled and placed a hand on his cheek. This calmed him down. "No, my sweet. I am unharmed." She reassured him. Chester wrapped his arms around her and rested his head against her shoulder. She did the same. The swamp smelled of death and decay but Abby smelled sweet of flowers.

Suddenly, Chester felt an enormous pain in his left arm. His left hand struck out and clenched Abby's throat in a vicelike grip, lifting her off the ground.

"Chester…what are you…doing?" Abby struggled to breath.

"I don't know!" Chester panicked. He tried to let go of her but he couldn't control his arm. To add to that, its skin had turned dark like asphalt.

"Hahah! You really thought you could get rid of me like that?" Kid Rot's voice came out of Chester's mouth. "I don't follow the same roles of life and death as you mere mortals." Half of Chester's face was now Kid Rot. He brought Abby a bit closer.

"Please don't hurt her. I-I love her." Chester pleaded as tears rolled down his right cheek but the left half smirked.

The fingers around Abby's throat turned into sharp claws. Kid Rot lifted up the index finger and drove it thru the base of the girl's throat, hoking onto her collarbone. Blood ran down her lips. Chester could only look on in horror as he killed her. The first thing to rot off was her eyes and skin. As her neck muscles started decomposing, her skull bended forward and her empty eye-sockets stared accusingly at Chester.

"NO!"

* * *

With that scream Chester jolted out of sleep. It had only been a dream. Chester panted like he had been running for miles and cold sweat ran down his forehead. He looked around the room but thankfully he hadn't woken up any of his roommates. Chester sighed and whipped off the sweat from his forehead. He had really hoped that these nightmares would be over. He hadn't had one since he became Abby's boyfriend. Maybe this was just a onetime incidence.

He looked at his alarm-clock. It was just 5:45. Even thou it was a Thursday, Chester and Abby was free from school today since it was teacher day so they had decided to go on their first real date. He would meet her at her house at eleven a clock. Five hours. Five hours and fifteen minutes until he gets to be in her arms again and see the love in her eyes.

Chester laid back down on his pillow again but he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep. The images of his nightmare was still fresh and horrifying enough to keep him awake for a long time.

* * *

That morning Chester only ate a quick breakfast before heading out into the nearby woods. His old orphanage in Greenbottle also had a nearby forest and Chester used to go there when he needed to get away from the other children but recently he hadn't had time to explore nature. He was too busy with homework and keeping up his relationship with Abby.

For a brief moment the forest looked like the swamp in his nightmare. Dark, dead and rotten. Chester scowled at this.

Then the sun's rays shined thru the canopies, shedding light on the forest floor and tainting the sky in a pinkish color and Chester saw how dumb he had been. It was the start of April. The trees had grown fresh foliage and green acorns had popped-out on the oaks. Even thou most of the ground was bare, Chester could spot patches of clover and fern growing in the places that wasn't shadowed by the trees. A squirrel jumped over the ground before rushing up a tree with a nut in its mouth. A mockingbird got out on a branch and started singing and was soon joined by others of the same kind and Chester could even hear the distinctive sound of bluebirds and wood thrushes.

His nightmare had been purely fictional. Kid Rot was gone forever, this wasn't the middle ages and Abby wasn't a real knight. The only thing that was real about the dream was that he and Abby loved each other. Even if they had never said it right out to each other. Sure, they had admitted that they were in love but that was a different thing than saying those three sacred words, _I love you._ Chester thou, didn't need to hear Abby say it. He knew.

Chester knew his way thru the forest and knew where to find a large patch of bluebells. Chester didn't have much money over to buy gifts for Abby. In a way she was the one taking _him_ on a date. He didn't even know where they were going to go since Abby was the one that had picked a place and being the vixen that she was she said it was a secret.

Chester still wanted to be as generous to Abby as he could. He sat down in front of a nice growth of bluebells and grabbed their stems. He then pulled out a small pair of scissors from his pocket and cut them free from the ground.

* * *

A few hours later was Chester at the Archer's front door with the flowers in a bouquet made of old newspapers. He rang the doorbell.

Harvey opened the door. "Good morning Chester." He greeted in a jolly matter.

"Hey Mr. Archer. Is Abby ready yet?" Chester asked.

"Sure she is, she has been looking forward to your date for days and you can call me Harvey." He replied which caused Chester to smile a bit. Harvey turned around. "ABBY, YOUR DATE IS HERE!"

Almost immediately after her father had made the announcement, Abby came rushing down the stairs. "Chester." She ran up to her boyfriend and gave him a hug. With an instant, all the fear and worries that Chester's nightmare had left him with vanished. Chester closed his eyes as he soaked in her softness and warmth. Abby let go of him. "You are early."

"Yeah, I couldn't wait to see you." Chester said.

"Awe." All three in the hallway turned towards the sound. It was Petunia, gushing. When she saw them staring at her, she blushed and went back into the kitchen.

Harvey chuckled lightly. "She is just excited to see you kids go on your date."

Chester held out his bouquet to Abby. "Here, these are for you. I picket them myself."

"They are wonderful Chester." Abby happily gasped and took her gift. She smelled the flowers and she was very pleased. "I will just put these in some water and then we can go."

* * *

Abby was seventeen, almost eighteen and had a driving license but she almost had to beg on her knees to make her parents lend her their car but they had given in after that she promised to be careful and do some extra choirs around the house.

She now drove the car thru the city with her boyfriend in the seat next to her, talking about nothing and everything.

"So, will you tell me where we are going now?" Chester eagerly asked.

Abby smirked. "You'll see when we get there."

When Chester saw large upcoming building his eyes widen. "No way!"

"Yep, we're going to Ringworm's Museum of Natural History." Abby cheerfully proclaimed.

"Aww thank you!" Chester jubilated and gave her a tight hug.

"Hey, I'm driving here!"

Chester quickly withdraw his arms. "Sorry, I just got so happy. I haven't been to a museum since Greenbottle."

"Hey, I am a science geek too you know. I just felt we should do something we both would enjoy." Abby exclaimed.

* * *

As soon as they stepped thru the entrance, a life-sized model of a T-rex was looking down at them. Since Ringworm was famous (or is some cases infamous) for its scientists and institutions Chester was not surprised that it had a very impressive museum as well.

Abby paid their entrance fee and they proceeded to the exhibitions. Abby enjoyed it even thou she had seen most of it before. Chester thou was like a little kid in a toy store. He was almost running between the displays, at one time he even had to remind himself that he was allowed to touch the Elasmotherium-model. Chester hadn't had time to catch up with all the new scientific discoveries made during the two years he was Kid Rot's prisoner so he was thankfull that the museum was very keen on keeping up with the latest data.

Chester stopped in front of one of the interactive displays, a screen where one should place the right metals in the right layers of the earth. Chester did that as Abby wrapped her arms around one of his and rested her head against his shoulder.

* * *

At the history section they came across a model of Hernando Cortez. He was no knight but his breast-harness reminded Chester of his dream. "Do you wanna hear something funny?" He turned to Abby that looked back at him. "I had a dream about you last night. You were a knight in armor and chainmail. You had long sword too."

Abby blushed. "So I am your knight in shining armor then?" She cooed.

"Hmm, more like a knight in yellow slimesuit but yeah, you have always been my knight, Abby." Chester exclaimed flirtatiously.

A smirk grew between Abby's blushing cheeks and she leaned in towards him. Chester thought Abby was going to kiss him but instead she sucked her finger and stuck it in Chester's ear.

"Hey, hey." Chester whined. Abby laughed mischievously and ran off. She stopped four meters away and teased her boyfriend to chase after her. Chester smiled and ran after his girlfriend.

* * *

Even thou Abby &amp; Chester enjoyed all the exhibits, they both agreed that the best part was the anatomy section. Apparently, in order to attract more children, the museum had constructed a water ride in the anatomy section that would showcase the human urinary system. They had even colored the water yellow. It had two carts hooked together like on a roller-coaster. Abby and Chester sat down in the front cart as a pair of kids boarded the second one.

The carts went off from the oval room. "We are now leaving the kidney." Abby said and eagerly nudged Chester's arm.

The carts then rushed down a long slide. "Ureter!" The couple shouted together. They then arrived at a round pool. "Urinary bladder!" They shouted again. Suddenly, two other carts came up from the side and docked with theirs's.

"Right, cause the bladder is where the right and left ureter meet." Abby stated.

Chester shrugged his shoulders. "At least they are realistic."

The carts continued to another slide and this one was fast yet shorter than the ureter. "Urethraaaaaa!" They shrilled before laughing.

Then Abby looked at Chester. He was happy. Despite still having that sad little glint in his eyes, he was genuinely and unmistakable happy. Chester often looked happy around her but it often felt so reserved, like she was the only thing in the world that could make him smile. While Abby wouldn't have had a problem with that, it was a relief to see that that was not the case. Chester could enjoy the world just like everybody and the best part was that she could share it with him.

Abby was so happy over this that she instinctively locked her arms around his neck right before the ride came to a splashing close. Chester blushed and kissed Abby's cheek.

* * *

Once they had gone thru the museum they decided to go to a nearby café. Chester took a piece of blueberry pie and a juice box while Abby had a juice box and a turkey sandwich.

Abby was gladly chewing on her sandwich when she noticed that Chester wasn't eating. He had taken one bite but now he just seemed to play with his fork. She gulped down what she was chewing on. "Didn't it taste good?"

"Uh? No, it tastes fine." Chester replied a bit aery.

"Is it the stomach pains?" Abby guessed concerned.

"Yeah."

"You should still eat some." Abby made it sound more like a suggestion than a recommendation.

"It's not just that. Don't you get...tiered of having to pay for me? I mean, you had to pay for everything we did today." Chester solicitously asked.

"Not at all. I don't mind paying for this. Besides, aren't you saving money for an apartment?" Abby explained and took another bit of her sandwich.

"Yeah but I could take some money out of my saving account if you want too. You mean much more to me than an apartment." Chester said.

"Awe." Abby gushed, leaned over and gave him a kiss. "You are sweet but don't do that. A little bit of money is a small price to pay to get to spend time with the world's best boyfriend."

Chester blushed and looked down at his blueberry pie. _'Maybe I am worth this?" _He thought to himself.

* * *

The next day, Abby &amp; Ty was walking thru the schoolyard.

"…so I told Jasmine that we couldn't add a buzz-saw to our robot since that would put it over the weight limit." Ty said. Jasmine was the third member of the school's robot-club along with Ty &amp; Andy.

Abby, already bored with her brother's story rolled her eyes. "Jasmine do love her buzz-saws."

"Right. I asked her what to do about it and she told me to remove the inbuilt goopshooter. Can you believe that? That goopshooter is what gives our robot its personality."

They then came across Chester, sitting on the entrance stairs. He smiled at them and seemed to be in good spirit except that he had a large purple bruise around his left eye. He got up and gave Abby a hug. "Hey girlfriend."

"Chester, what happened to your eye? Did someone hit you?" Abby asked concerned.

Chester nodded, strangely happy. "Yes, Kent hit me but I hit him first."

"Why did you do that?" Abby asked, getting more concerned.

"Yeah, doesn't sound very smart." Ty said.

"He tried to steal my lunch money and when I didn't give it to him he insulted me and then he insulted you Abby." Chester explained. "It-it's the first time I actually stood up for myself. I know that I shouldn't have hit him but for the first time I actually feel good about myself."

Ty raised a brow. "For punching a jock?"

Abby gave her brother a sarcastic sneer. "I don't think that's the thing to take out from all of this, Ty." She kissed Chester's bruise and the three teens ventured into school.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I know what most of you are thinking. What was up with that weird fantasy sequence in the beginning? **

**YOU DON'T GET IT! I A MAN WITH A MAN'S NEEDS. I NEED MINDLESS DEATH AND DESTRUCTION TO KEEP MYSELF AFLOAT!**

**Okay, jokes aside. I really can't write a romance this long without some action thrown in for good measure. I can certainly **_**read **_**a romance this long without any punctuation but if I have to write it I get bored very easily and if I get bored you guys don't get your chapters.**

**The part were Chester strangles Abby was a reference to a scene in the movie **_**Paprika. **_

**I was originally going to actually feature the fight between Chester &amp; Kent but I thought it would be better if I simple let the readers imagine it. **

**I hoped you guys enjoyed this and I would really appreciate it if you reviewed/commented this chapter. **


	19. You Rot My World

**Chapter 19: You Rot My World **

As the days went by, Abby's &amp; Chester's relationship grew stronger and steadier. On their dates they usually strolled thru the woods, talking about nothing and everything. But there were other reasons they choose to do this. Since it was free, Chester didn't have to feel self-conscious about being poor and Abby got the chance to indulge her boyfriend in some much needed exercise. Eating right was only one part in fixing Chester's health after the damage that the parasite had caused. Exercise was another. Of course the forest also gave the two the opportunity to look at some beautiful wildlife.

At school they did little more than occasionally hold hands and kiss each other's cheeks. It was just not a very romantic setting but they kept each other company whenever they could. Many of the bullies at school made fun of Chester for his romance with Abby but Chester knew they were only looking for an excuse. If it wasn't for Abby they would instead torment him for his appearance or his hobbies. Chester also slept over at the Archers a lot. The orphanage was never a home to him, it was just the place he lived. He usually slept in the guestroom as per ordered by Petunia but that didn't stop him from sneaking into Abby's room early in the mornings and snuggle up beside her.

Another relationship that blossomed was the friendship between Chester &amp; Naomi. Naomi was gentle and friendly so she didn't frighten him and he wasn't in love with her like he was with Abby so there was no chance of him getting tong tied around her. This also earned him the nickname 'Naomi's gay-friend' by bullies (the fact that this went against their taunting about his relationship with Abby didn't seem to factor-in). Chester also became a closer friend with Ty &amp; Andy even thou he was still somewhat of a third wheel in that lineup. Still, Andy and Ty accepted and enjoyed his company and neither had anything against socializing with him one-on-one. Chester was happier than he could ever remember being but as in any fairy tale there is always one disgruntled witch that envied everyone's happiness. Not surprisingly in this case, it was Paige Logan.

Paige and Abby's animosity continued as usual. Chester was sometimes a vocal point but this morning Abby had taken it too far. Paige had come with the usual argument, that Chester was the only guy Abby could get. Abby had retorted that at least she could get a guy. Paige had simple smirked. "What does that mean? I have dated plenty of guys."

"Yeah, and how many of them have stuck around longer than two dates?"

This question had silenced the blond girl. It was true that plenty of guys had dated her (she was one of the hottest, most popular girls at school after all) but none of them had stayed longer than two dates since her self-centered attitude often drove them away. Not knowing how to answer, Paige had thrown an embarrassing temper tantrum. Paige was still infuriated and was determined to have her vengeance.

She found Chester where she expected him to be. In the classroom, doing his homework. Chester still had a lot of missed schoolwork he had to finish so he tried to do most of his new homework in-between classes. He was completely absorbed by his work and did not even notice when Paige entered the room.

"Hey there, Chester." Paige chirped.

Chester looked up from his textbook. He blinked puzzled at Paige. "Hey." _'What is she doing here? She probably wants to do something cruel to me.'_

Paige smiled flirtatiously. "What you doing?"

'_Why is she smiling?' _Chester thought disturbed. From what he knew, Paige only had two mood setting whenever she saw him. Disgusted frown and sinister smirk. This friendly smile was just so out of place. "Ge-geometry homework."

"What a coincidence. I have math homework too." Paige exclaimed with phoned in astonishment.

"We have the same math class." Chester muttered.

Paige leaned over his desk, squeezing her breasts in-between her arms. "Can you teach me some?"

Chester blinked dumbfounded at this. _'Please leave already, your making me uncomfortable. Just humiliate me and let us go on with the rest of the day. _"No thanks."

A frown played on Paige's lips. Even non-single guys would at least blush or giggle when she approached them like this but then again, Chester had pretty poor social skills. "But you are so smart Chester. Please help me." She persisted.

"Okay." Chester replied hesitantly. He pointed at the images in the book. "A function is the relation between outputs and inputs."

"Can you show me on the blackboard?" Paige asked.

"Rather not." Chester answered, still not sure what to think.

Paige scowled. "Do it."

He flinched at her command but then decided to walk over to the chalkboard. He started drawing when Paige saw her blond friend with the diadem at the door opening, giving a thumbs up. Paige took a hold of Chester's color and smashed her lips against his.

At that moment, Abby was lead in by Paige's _less blond _friend. "…stop dragging me, I-

The sight made her gasp. Paige finished the kiss with a loud plop-sound. She turned to Abby, smirking. "Oh, I'm sorry Abby, he just jumped me. I guess even your boyfriend prefers me over you."

Abby raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure about that?"

"What does that mean?" Paige snarled.

Abby pointed at Chester. He was on his knees, gaging and spiting. Trying to get rid of the taste in his mouth. He then got up, grabbed a chalk-crayon and stroked it against his tong several times. It calmed him down.

Paige dropped her jaw and Abby literally slapped her knee while laughing, cause it was so funny. "Yeah, he seem _really _into you." Abby said sarcastically. She then led Chester out of the room, laughing to her heart's content.

Paige's shocked expression gave way to gritting teeth. "I hate her so much."

* * *

A few minutes later, Chester was by the drinking fountain in the corridor. He filled his mouth with water, gargled for ten seconds before spitting it out into the sink. "That was so disgusting. It was like being assaulted by a wax-doll." Abby was leaning against the wall next to him. She couldn't stop giggling at what just happened. "It's not funny Abby. I swear that girl was wearing like three layers of makeup." Chester protested.

Abby giggled some more when she noticed that Chester had some skin cream on his cheek. Paige must have rubbed it off on him. "You might be right in that. You have some on your check." She pointed out where the spot would be on her own cheek.

"Really? Where?" Chester asked and touched his face in search of the makeup.

"Stand still." Abby sighed. She licked her thumb and rubbed Chester's face with it until the spot was gone.

When she was done was Chester blushing like a tomato and smiling shyly. "You can be so embarrassing sometimes." He cooed.

Abby tilted her head a bit. Chester was always so cute when he blushed like that. "Despite that, are we still up for our study date tonight?"

"Of course we are." Chester replied.

At that moment, Kent stepped up to them. He looked at Chester with one of the most hateful frowns Chester had seen since he came to town. As it had turned out, there was more to the two's skirmish than what Chester initially told Abby. Apparently, not only had Chester fought the jock but had actually managed to beat him. Kent was taller than most of the teachers at school and build like an ox so it was quite a feat that a wimpy little nerd like Chester managed to beat him in a fight. And quite humiliating for Kent.

"Hello _Pester._" Kent grabbed Chester's shirt. "I haven't had the chance to pay you back for what you did to me. You owe me a rematch."

"Hey!" Abby yanked Chester from Kent's grasp before stepping in between the two. "Leave him alone Kent. Chester is not interested in fighting you."

"He should have thought of that before he attacked me." Kent stated.

"Do you really expect me to believe that? You provoked him, like you have every day since he came here." Abby snapped at him.

"No, I didn't. He attacked me and then shoved mud into my mouth." Kent explained in an angry tone.

Abby looked at Chester, raising a questioning eyebrow. It was a bit strange that Chester had the strength or the ferocity to overwhelm a beefcake like Kent. Then again, Chester was not as weak as he used to be and she knew he had quit a few anger issues.

"Yes, I did but not before you tried to take my money and insult Abby." Chester exclaimed.

Kent raised a confused eyebrow. "I did not do that but it hardly matters. I want a rematch."

"You're so freaking pathetic Kent!" Abby hissed furious. "Do you really think I would believe you over Chester? _You_ that have been harassing him all this time. To me it sounds like you got what you deserved." She then grabbed Chester's sleeve as they passed the giant teenager and walked away.

Kent followed the pair's departure with sharp eyes and a malicious scowl.

* * *

That night, Abby and Chester studied for their history test in Abby's room. Chester sat on Abby's bed with his back against some stacked up pillows. Abby laid on her stomach at the other end of the bed. Both read their text books.

Abby looked away from her text book to smile at Chester. Chester noticed and smiled back. "What page are you on, Chester?" She asked.

"Page 95. The creation of Universal Declaration of Human Rights."

Abby put away her textbook and crawled up to Chester. She made herself comfy in his lap and rested her head against his chest. "Can you read to me?" She sighed peacefully.

Chester tilted his head, trying to get a glimpse of her face. He smiled intensely. "Sure." He held up the book so that they both could se. "On the tenth of December, 1948, the general assembly of the united nations gathered in Palaise de Chaillot in Paris to adopt the Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a response to the atrocities of World War II. It states that the inherit dignity and equal rights for all human beings should be the foundation for peace, justice and freedom and this should be protected by law…" Chester trailed off. They had been studying for hours and by this point he found Abby so much more captivating than the content of the textbook. He loved the way she was sitting right now. As usual her body was warm and her hair smelled of wild barriers. He wrapped an arm around her abdomen and lazily lowered the textbook onto the bed. Abby didn't complain, she was tiered of the homework too. She turned her head to look up at him and Chester took the opportunity to kiss her lips. Abby was more than willing to return the favor. Then they just sat there, doing nothing but enjoying the other's presence.

It was strange. Even thou Abby was far from the romantic that her brother was, she had always thought she would eventually found a boyfriend but she never imagine that she would enjoy _this._ Cuddling up to her boyfriend like a little girl and letting the time fly by. She turned in his grasp, stroking her head against the croak of his neck and giving of a cat like purr.

"Abby," Chester broke the peaceful silence with his soft voice, "it's getting late. I should probably go back to the orphanage."

"Yeah, okay." Abby vented before reluctantly getting off him.

Chester quickly rose from the bed in a hurry and started putting on his polyester jacket and backpack. "I must hurry. Our supervisor have been shouting at me for breaking the curfew so many times."

"You want me to walk you home?" Abby asked.

"Won't be necessary." When he turned to answer her, he saw Abby on her bed. She was on her hands and knees and stared at him with longing.

'_She never makes it easy for me to leave.'_

He bowed down, cupped her cheeks and kissed her deeply. "I'll see you tomorrow." He promised before running out of the room. Abby sighed happily and fell back onto her back.

On his way down the stairs, Chester almost rain into Petunia as she made her way up. "Excuse me Mrs. Archer, I gotta go now. Bye."

"Bye Chester." Petunia cheerfully waved goodbye to the boy. She then proceeded to her daughter's room. The door was ajar so she stuck in her head. Abby was lying in bed, reading some more in her textbook.

"Hey honey, I just saw Chester leaving. Did you two get some homework done?"

"Yes mom, we did." Abby replied and placed away her book.

Petunia smiled mischievously as she walked into the room. "Not getting too distracted by each other?"

Abby smiled at that remark. "Not too much."

Petunia sat down next to her. "You two are getting pretty serious, right?"

"We were always serious, mom." Abby replied and hugged her knees. "Chester has really matured since we started dating. He is not as nervous around people anymore and he is less hesitant about kissing me."

"That's wonderful Abby but promise me you won't rush into anything." Petunia said.

"What do you mean with that?" Abby asked.

"You haven't had sex yet, right?" Her mom asked alarmed.

"What?" Abby shrieked startled. "No mom! How can you even think that? We have only been together for a few weeks and-and we are far from that stage in our relationship."

"Okay, okay. No need to be defensive. Just promise me to use _protection _when you do it."

"Mom!"

* * *

Meanwhile, two teenagers was waiting for someone by the street. One of them was Kent. He was sitting on a wall, drinking a can of red bull. His friend, a slinkier guy with a cap and a thick jacket was getting tiered. "Can we not go home yet Kent? We have been waiting here for almost an hour. I want to go home."

"No way Spud. That creep said he was going to study with his _girlfriend _tonight so he must be taking this way when he walks home." Kent said in dominant tone.

"Is all this necessary? Can you not just give him a wedgie at school or something?" Spud continued to complain.

"After what he did, no way. He needs to be taught a lesson." Kent answered. He still remembered the fight and what happened afterwards. It must have been at least a dozen people that saw him getting utterly humiliated by that little nerd, Chester. His mouth was filled with mud and his eyes were teary. No one laughed at him, no one dared but he knew what they had been thinking. They were all thinking on how he got his ass handed to him. He could not let Chester get away with that.

They then saw the stalky shape of Chester coming towards them from a distance.

"Hey, is that him?" Spud asked. One couldn't blame him for being unsure. It was really dark outside.

"That's him alright." Kent replied. He gulped down what was left of his sport drink, crushed the can in his hand and threw it away. "It's payback time."

* * *

Chester ran thru the street, heading towards the orphanage. He was pretty certain he would miss the curfew. As his supervisors had told him several times, if he came late too many times they would cut down his allowance.

He soon saw two figures coming towards him. The distance and the darkness made it hard to tell who they were but as they came closer he recognized them.

"Hey Chester." Kent called out. "You don't have your girlfriend to protect you now."

Chester could feel fear sipping into him. He took a step back before turning around and running for dear life. Kent and Spud chased after him.

'_I can't let them take me. Where should I run? I could run back to Abby.' _Chester's mind raced faster than his legs. He could hear the other teenagers coming closer and closer. When Chester was about to pass a large white fence, another teenager ran out in front of him and captured him in his powerful arms. He had a shaved head and an orange cap. "No! Let me go, let me go!" Chester shrieked. He tried to bend out of his aggressor's arm but the arm was like an iron bar, seemingly impossible to bend. Chester then felt a striking pain in his stomach that knocked the wind out of him. The other teen had punched him in his stomach, hard.

"Good job, Charles." Kent said as he walked up to them.

"Yup, worked like you said Kent." Charles chuckled.

"No, wait. I don't want to fight." Chester wailed.

Kent grabbed Chester's hair and forced him to look up at him. "What, you think you're better than me?" He punched Chester in the face. The rippling sound of knuckles hitting soft skin could be heard by everyone. Chester was then forced onto his hands and knees by Charles.

"Now, I'm gonna teach you to never stick up to me." Kent said as he cracked his knuckles.

"Kent, wait." Chester held up a defensive palm. "I'm sorry for hitting you. I should just have done as you said. I'm really, really sorry."

Kent considered it for a moment. He then smiled and nodded before offering Chester a helping hand. Chester knew this trick so he refrained from taking the hand. "I'm fine, thank you." He said politely and rose to his feet.

Kent then grabbed Chester's shoulders and kneed him in the groin. Chester clutched his sore spot and fell sideways into a puddle of water. Half his face was in the dirty water and his hair and jacket got soaked. "You think you are so smart, don't you?" Kent said crudely. "Charles, grab him. We're gonna put him where he belongs."

Charles lifted Chester up, holding up from behind. Chester's heels could barely scratch the ground as Kent and his cronies brought him into an alley. Kent and Spud walked up to a manhole and lifted of the lid. Stricken with dread, Chester froze up before panicking. He started shouting and kicking as Charles brought him closer to the manhole. He then jerked his head backwards, his skull collided with Charles' jaw and Charles let go of him. Chester rushed past his captor. All he could think about was getting away but he didn't manage to get out of the alley before Kent grabbed his arm.

"Hey, don't go. This is about to get fun." Kent stated sarcastically.

"Leave me alone!" Chester shouted and punched Kent in the face. Kent however was more annoyed by it than hurt. Instead of letting go of the smaller teen, he pushed him back into the alley. Spud then tackled Chester. Causing him to fall backwards before slipping head first into the manhole.

Everything went dark…

* * *

When Chester opened his eyes again, the world was dark and dizzy. As his vision started to clear he could make out a lot of pillar-like shapes. He soon recognized them as trees. They shouldn't be there, wasn't this the sewers? He clumsily staggered to his feet and realized he was standing in water but it was weird. When he stepped in it, it made no sounds. Everything was eerily silent.

'_Wait, I recognize this place. It's the swamp from my nightmares. Am I dreaming this?'_

Chester looked down. Even thou the water was as dark as it could be, he could still see his reflection. The water rippled, making it hard for him to see his reflection clearly but as it ebbed out his reflection became clear. It was Kid Rot, staring up at him.

Startled, Chester took a step back, slipped and fell on his butt. A black light radiated from the water in front of him. Slowly but certain, Kid Rot emerged from the light. "Ladies and gentlemen, boys and germs. It's the reunion of the century. The comeback of the most rotting bad-boy to ever threaten this planet. Give an applaud to KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIID ROOOOOT!" Kid Rot proclaimed. Like an evil messiah, he walked on top of the water towards the quivering boy.

"Ki-Kid Rot?" Chester gulped nervously. "You-you can't be real?"

Kid Rot smirked. "But I am real Chester. This is the quagmire of your subconscious. Do you like it? I have done a lot of redecoration in here, making it all gross and comfy for you."

"But you left me! The doctors said they couldn't find any traces of you inside me." Chester argued.

Kid Rot bowed down and reassuringly stroked Chester's hair. "I never left you. I've grown too attached to you." He couldn't help but let out a little chuckle. He rose up and looked down at his host. "Do you remember the cut in your hand?"

Chester was taken back by this question. He looked at his hand where Kid Rot had cut him with the knife a bit over a month ago. The scar shimmered black for a second.

"That scar had more use than fun and instill fear in you, Chester." Kid Rot explained. "I hid inside the scar tissue and waited, slowly growing stronger. I could only tap the subconscious of your mind. Reaching out to you thru your nightmares. I knew I would eventually get strong enough to take over again and now that you are unconscious I have the perfect opportunity to take control."

Chester stared dreadfully at Kid Rot, feeling powerless. "No, please. You can't do this to me. I was finally happy without you." He cried out.

"I'm sorry Chester but I have already started."

* * *

"Awe man, the guy is not moving. Do you-do you think he is dead?" Spud asked in a worried tone as he and the others stared down the manhole. Chester's body was lying face-down as the sewer water washed past him.

"No, he is not dead, dumbass." Kent chastised his friend but in reality he was worried too. He wanted to scare Chester, not kill him. He nervously bit his lip. "Maybe we should help him." He suggested.

Just as they started to consider it, Chester got onto his hands and knees.

"Awe, thank god. He is alive." Spud exclaimed.

"Hey dude, you okay?" Kent shouted down to Chester.

The boy in the sewer started to chuckle. A dark chuckle, that gave Kent goosebumps. The chuckle then turned into a maniacal laughter. Kent raised a confused brow. _'Why would Chester be laughing? Is he just trying to psych them?'_

Kent didn't get the chance to think further than that. A powerful wave of dark energy radiated from the open manhole. The energy evaporated all the moister in their bodies and turned their flesh to mold. When the wave had past, Kent and his cronies had been reduced to piles of black dirt.

Kid Rot jumped into the air like a rocket before landing on the ground with a bang, cracking the concreate and dispersing the dirt that once was Chester's tormentors. The parasite took a deep breath and smirked devilishly.

"There's a big green world out there, Chester. Time to destroy it."

* * *

**Author's Note: **

**Welcome back Kid Rot! I really missed you. **

**And I am happy being back writing this too. Been a while since I updated this. I have been busy working on **_**'Grossology: Evolution' **_**but now my focus will return to this story. **

**I felt opening this chapter with some lighthearted humor was the best way to balance out all the dark elements that came later. My idea was to take a cliché we all know about and give it a comedic twist. **

**So now, Kid Rot is back and the upcoming chapters are going to focus on his new evil plan, how the Grossologists will deal with it and Chester's inner turmoil. **

**The title of this chapter is a play-on-words on the Michael Jackson song 'You Rock My World'. **

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and I as usual I would appreciate it if you review it. **


	20. You Can't Stop Rot 'N' Roll

**Chapter 20: You Can't Stop Rot ****'****N****'**** Roll**

Abby woke up as usual, to the sound of an alarm bell. She reluctantly opened her eyes. So tiered. When she looked at her alarm clock thou, she realized it wasn't the clock that sounded. It was her Grossometer. Abby grunted as she sat up and picked up the Grossometer from her night table. She rubbed her eye before activating it.

LabRat was on screen. He looked like he had seen a ghost. "LabRat?" Abby asked, wondering what got him so spoked.

"It-its Chester." His name felt like a punch to the gut for Abby. "Kid Rot have retaken control of his body and is rampaging thru the city."

Abby could not believe what she was hearing. For a second it was like she couldn't breathe. _'This must be a dream.' _"HOW?" She unintentionally shouted at LabRat, making him flinch.

"I don't know but you have to get down to the gaglab, right now!" LabRat exclaimed before hanging up.

Abby quickly hurried to her wardrobe and ripped the clothes off their hangers. She tossed them onto the bed while frenetically trying to discard her night-wear. With dread, she remembered the time she was infected by the parasite. How she was trapped in her own body, feeling helpless and scared. Her boyfriend was in the same predicament right now.

'_Last time Kid Rot possessed Chester, he was tortured for over a year. How long will it last this time? How much can Chester take?' _Abby thought as she put on her clothes.

She ran out of her room just as Ty skidded out of his. Ty's body stiffen a bit when he saw her. "Abby?" Ty was unsure and a bit worried over how his sister had taken the news.

"Yeah, I heard. Let's just go get him." Abby stated. She knew they had no time for talk and really, she didn't want to.

* * *

The Archer siblings entered the Gaglab, now wearing their slimesuits. LabRat was there but he barely acknowledged their arrival since his attention was on The Director on a large screen. The Director was furious.

"Grossologists!" The Director shrieked at them. "What is the meaning of this?"

The screen switched to an amateur video, clearly filmed on a handhold camera. It showed Kid Rot as he turned an entire house into rotten splinters. He continued by rotting away at the nearby lawn and bushes. Laughing manically.

Abby could feel her heart breaking. Seeing the boy she loved, once again twisted into this perversion of a human being made her sick to her stomach. _'I don't want to see this but I can't be weak. For Chester's sake I have to at least appear strong.' _

Ty got a bit closer to LabRat. _"From how long ago is this?" _He whispered.

"_Not sure, we just got it in." _LabRat whispered back.

In the video, Kid Rot now turned to the camera. He smirked and fired a blast of dark energy at the cameraman. The cameraman gave out some gurgling noises before falling to the ground along with the camera. The screen turned static for a moment and when the image came back the camera was on its side. Kid Rot picked it up, his cruel grin taking up most of the screen.

"Hello, citizens of Ringworm City! It's me again, everyone's favorite one-man boyband. Here to remind you all that this town is still Kid Rot territory and I am planning to make some changes around here. My plan is what it has always been, to turn this boor of a town into a giant compost heap and rot-out with my _special girl._" Abby shivered, knowing he meant her. "If the Grossologists want to stop me they are welcome to try but it might not be very healthy for them." Kid Rot smiled impishly before the screen turned static.

The Director came back on screen. "Why is this happening? You told me Chester was cured!"

"I-I don't know." LabRat replied, panic stricken.

"HOW DO WE EVEN KNOW THAT ABBY IS'NT STILL INFECTED?" The Director shouted.

"What." Abby gasped. "I am not and we don't have time with this stupid arguing. We need to get out there, stop Kid Rot and bring Chester back!" Her stern arguing silenced The Director. Ty also stared somewhat timorously at her.

LabRat grabbed something from a drawer under his computer. It was a few black marbles. "I have developed these in case we ever had to deal with Kid Rot again. These smoke bombs contain the same anti-dote we used to cure Abby. Load them into your goopshooters and shoot at him. It would however be better if you could take him back here so we can properly treat him more thoroughly." He explained to the others.

'_At least one of us were prepared for this.' _Abby thought with careful optimism.

"You must hurry." The Director stated. "Kid Rot was last seen on his way to the museum of natural history." Abby felt like it was another punch to the gut. The museum had been the place of their first date.

"But the GRS-1 is still wrecked." LabRat exclaimed.

"I got an idea." Ty said. He ran over to the Gross-Vault and opened the large door with a click on a keyboard. "I think we should take this." He said, pointing at a very familiar orange painted vehicle.

Abby raised an eyebrow. "Is that the Ty-Mobile?"

"Yep. Rebuilt and ready for testing." Her brother replied.

* * *

Kid Rot was indeed on his way to the museum. It would be a fitting place to once again meet the Grossologists but as he made his way to the place he could just as well raise up his body count. He swept thru the city like a dark wind, poisoning anything and anyone that was even close to him. Those that didn't fall dead on the spot crawled away sickly.

* * *

Meanwhile, Chester was still trapped in the swamp inside his own mind. He didn't bother walking thru it. He knew it would never end. Kid Rot had told him he had created it while he was waiting to get strong enough to take over the body. The entire swamp was dark and rotting, just like the parasite liked it. A cold wind ran thru Chester's body as he sat on a downslope by the water.

Just like the last time he was trapped inside his mind he was fully aware of what his real body was doing. A large window in the sky allowed him to see what Kid Rot saw, or at least the parts Kid Rot wanted him to see.

Chester wrapped his arms around his knees and lowered his head. _"No, no." _He mumbled. He felt he needed to at least try to stop this. "KID ROT! KID ROT!" Chester cried for his tormentor.

Kid Rot walked out from the mist upon hearing his call. There was an imposing swagger to his steps. Like before he walked on water. "You don't have to scream Chester. I am always here for you." He grinned sinisterly.

"You have to stop this." Chester pleaded.

"Stop what?" Kid Rot asked coyly.

"All this destruction and violence." Chester replied. "You can have my body, just if you stop hurting people." Chester knew Kid Rot already had his body but he did not know what else to do.

Kid Rot laughed darkly at him. "How adorable. You're trying to be a hero, like your girlfriend but we both know you are no hero. That is a pipedream filled with sewage sludge. You're just a weak little boy."

Knowing he couldn't argue with Kid Rot, Chester scowled sternly as he rose to his feet. He glared defiantly at the parasite. "You won't get away with this. The Grossologists will stop you."

Kid Rot was very surprised by this. Chester had tried to defy him before but he had been so transparently afraid. The barks of an already broken dog but this time Chester almost seemed genuine. Kid Rot tilted his head as he studied Chester's brown eyes, filled with rage and iron will. The parasite then smirked. _'He is still scared, he has just gotten better at hiding it.'_

"We both know that won't happen and we both know you can't fool me." Kid Rot stated and walked closer to him. "I know you like the back of my hand." Upon saying that, he slammed his hand right into Chester's face. A _*crush*_ was heard before the blond boy fell to the ground. When Chester sat up again, his nose was running red from blood. He glared angrily at Kid Rot but the parasite just continued smirking. "We are not so different you and I."

"What!" Chester gasped in shock and quickly stood up. "You and I are nothing alike. Except for a body we have nothing in common." He shouted at the parasite.

Kid Rot chuckled a bit. "Now, now Chester. You are smart enough to know that it is not that simple. Emotions and thoughts doesn't come from a mystical soul inside of every human being. It's all just hormones and nerves. So if we share the same brain, the same body, the same hormonal glands, what really separates us?"

"But you are a separate lifeform?" Chester meekly defended.

"A bacteria, Chester." Kid Rot gave him a glare of disbelief. "I don't have a brain of my own. I think with your brain Chester. Our brain."

Kid Rot's words stunned Chester. Subconsciously he had always known it but he never wanted to accept it. His brain raced with a thousand different questions. "Wait, ha-have you been influencing by brain? My-my feelings?"

Kid Rot smiled mischievously, like a boy that had just been caught with his hand in the cookie-jar. "Maybe."

Chester thought back on one particular moment of the last month. That morning after he and Abby had confessed their feelings for one another. He had acted so irrationally he couldn't have believed himself. Was that all Kid Rot messing with his head? "Are you the one that has caused all my doubt?" Chester asked.

"Maybe. Maybe I am your doubt…or maybe," Kid Rot moved around Chester, placing his hands on the blond boy's shoulders and whispered into his ear, _"I am the devil on your shoulder telling you naughty things,"_ he then moved to the other ear, _"I am the butterflies in your belly whenever you see Abby." _

Chester felt like someone had hit him with a brick. The very idea was sickening. "You mean I was never in love with Abby. That it was just you, manipulating my feelings?"

Kid Rot had a hard time keeping himself from laughing. "Yes."

Chester's eyes widen in shock. "No, that doesn't make any sense." He shacked his head. "Abby tried to destroy you and save me. Wh-why would you love her, even less make me love her? It doesn't make any sense." Chester desperately argued.

"Since when has anything I've ever done made sense?" Kid Rot riddled.

* * *

Back in the real world, Kid Rot kicked in the door to the museum. "Prepare for a real blast from the past." He exclaimed before ejecting a wave of dark energy. The entrance hall was filled with people, screaming in fear as they all fell dead by the wave of energy. Their skins turned black, except for their faces that molded away, revealing their naked skulls. "Now you can all be part of the exhibit." Kid Rot joked and laughed to himself.

A security guard ran into the room. He was tall and muscular. He aimed a taser at Kid Rot. "You there, stand down."

"Nah." Kid Rot fired a rot-blast that just missed the security guard. Instead it hit a stuffed-up lion. The lion exploded into hair, sawdust and wires. The security guard shot his taser at him but Kid Rot ghosted right thru the electric wires. "It is always fun when someone wants to play." He then fired a rot-blast that hit the security guard in the chest. His clothes rotted off and he had a large, infected wound on his chest. He lied helpless on the floor, rattling desperately.

Kid Rot towered over him, smirking sadistically. "Whatever your salary, you did not get paid enough for this." He then killed him with a rot-blast to the head. The guard's eyes molded and his brain rotted. Kid Rot proceeded with skipping into the exhibit section of the museum, whistling a jolly little tune on the way.

* * *

"You and I are like a snake with two heads. Impossible to say where Chester ends and the rotten kid begins." Kid Rot told Chester inside the aforementioned boy's head.

"How can we be similar? You just killed an entire room filled with people in cold blood. I would never do that."

Kid Rot tilted his head up and sighed tiresomely. "Give me your hand." He commandingly flickered his fingers.

Chester raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Give me your hand. It is time you get to know yourself a little better." Kid Rot replied. He went right up to Chester and grabbed his wrist. Chester tried to pull away but Kid Rot didn't let go. "Stand still or I'll break your arm in four different places." Kid Rot's threat had the required effect.

Then, Kid Rot did something macabre, something that Chester had never seen him do. Kid Rot's fingers penetrated Chester's fingers, like tiny meat-eating maggots. No blood was spilled but Chester could feel his finger bones cracking and displacing. He screamed in agony. The pain abruptly ended and he felt something wonderful. A feeling of joy he had never felt before. He felt strong too, like he could take on the entire universe.

Just as unexcitingly as it started, the feeling disappeared. Kid Rot pulled his fingers out of Chester's hand. Chester fell onto his knees. His hand still hurt like hell, his fingers were crocked and broken but he still remembered that incredible rush he felt just a moment ago. "What-what was that?"

"Remember the first time Abby tried to help you and you _just couldn't_ go thru with it cause the powers made you feel protected? Well, _that_ was the full extent of that feeling. That is the way I feel as I rot-out. That is the way it feels to be god, to know that nothing can challenge you, to be invincible." Kid Rot explained passionately.

Chester looked away from the parasite, reassuringly stroking his own arm. He hated it but it was among the most amazing things he had ever felt, second only to being with Abby.

Kid Rot noticed Chester's shame, felt his yearning and it made him smirk. "Do you want to feel more of that?"

Chester flinched but he didn't say anything. He did not know if he could hide it from Kid Rot but he could not hide it from himself anymore. He wanted power. His entire life he had felt like he never had a choice in anything. He couldn't stop his mom from dying, he could never predict what his grandpa would do, he was never strong enough to stop the bullies, he could never choose his parent and he never choose to become Kid Rot's vessel. He never wanted to be lonely either but that was never up to him, it was always up to someone else. His entire life he had offered his friendship to almost anyone but until he meet Abby &amp; Ty no one had accepted it, even less give some back.

A new idea started to take form in Chester's head. He looked at Kid Rot with newfound curiosity and dread. _'Is Kid Rot my dream version of myself?'_

* * *

Kid Rot had come to the museum's prehistoric exhibit. "I hate fossils. They look like things you can rot, then you find out that they are made of rock. What a bummer. Maybe I can do a song about that." He pondered before singing;  
"_I wanna rock  
but all I can do is rot."_

"CHESTER!" When he heard that female voice, he turned around. It was Ty &amp; Abby, in their black non-organic slimesuits. They had their goopshooters aimed at him.

Kid Rot smirked. "Abby, darling. Did you really have to bring a chaperon on our date?"

"I am not talking to you, parasite. I was talking to my boyfriend." Abby stated.

"That would be fitting, since that's me." Kid Rot retorted.

"Enough with the romantic banter already." Ty said and fired his goopshooter. Abby followed his example.

Kid Rot thought it would be slime as usual so he prepared to mold it. He was completely taken off-guard when he saw it was tiny marbles that was being shot at him and he did not have time to react. The smoke bombs hit him, shattered against his body and smoke enveloped him. Kid Rot coughed as he breathed in the anti-dote. He felt as if his lungs were burning. The parasite fell onto his hands and knees. Thru the thin smokescreen the Grossologists could see Kid Rot's appearance changed to Chester's.

"Chester." Abby vented and ran over to him. The smoke cleared and Chester was left, panting on the floor.

He looked confused at Abby, then in the blink of an eye he changed back into Kid Rot. "That. Was. Annoying." He growled before quickly standing up, grabbing Abby's wrist and pulled her closer to him. He discarded her goopshooter before clashing his lips against hers, even managing to inject his tongue into her mouth. While Kid Rot enjoyed the kiss so much he moaned, Abby tried to push herself free. When Kid Rot let go of her, Abby's mouth was clogged by black slime. She fell to the floor and started gagging, trying to get it out before it suffocated her.

"I will just take care of the third wheel. Then this date can really get started." Kid Rot exclaimed as he jerked his thumb at Ty.

"What? The anti-dote didn't work." Ty stated, surprised and scared.

"Of course not." Kid Rot said before firing a rot-blast at the Grossologist. Ty limberly jumped out of the way.

"How?" Ty asked before ducking for another rot-blast. "It's the same we used on Abby."

"For someone so smart you can be really naïve Ty. I am an assembly of bacteria. Every new generation of me adapts to whatever drug I've been exposed to before. You nerds can cook up new anti-dotes as much as you want, I'll always adapt to them." Kid Rot gleefully explained before firing another rot-blast at his opponent.

Ty quickly jolted out of the way. At the same time he wondered how they could stop Kid Rot now. Kid Rot fired again but this time at the ceiling. A plaster model of a Plesiosaur that hanged from the ceiling, decomposed, ripped apart and almost fell right over the surprised Grossologist. Ty jumped out of harm's way, rolled on the floor before getting on his feet again but before Ty could react to anything else, Kid Rot ran up to him and jammed an elbow into Ty's chest. He stumbled backwards and Kid Rot took the opportunity to grab him by his slimesuit and flung him across the room. Ty smashed against a glass case that shattered before hitting the floor. He moaned in agony.

Meanwhile, Abby finally managed to spit out most of the disgusting black gunk in her mouth. The last of it had been diluted by her saliva and was now running down her lips. She looked distraught at her brother. "Ty." She got up but before she could run to her partner's aid, Kid Rot forcefully pushed her up against the nearest wall and pinned her there with his arm.

"Where were we?" The parasite's face slowly creeped towards Abby's. The girl closed her eyes, believing he would kiss her again. Instead he licked his finger and stuck it in her ear. Even a Grossologist like Abby found it disgusting.

"Awe, gross." She whined. When Kid Rot let her go, she immediately tried to poke out the gunk from her ear. Kid Rot laughed childishly before running away. He ran up a broad staircase to the next level, only stopping halfway up to wink at Abby to chase after him before continue running.

'_He is parodying our first date.' _Abby thought.

Ty suddenly ran past her and forcefully handed her her goopshooter. "Come on." The two ran after Kid Rot, up the stairs. Abby, was fully focused on capturing Kid but Ty hesitated. He decided to run the other way instead. He hoped to intersect Kid Rot at the other end of the passageway. He pulled up his goopshooter. _'The anti-dote didn't work but at least it temporarily stopped him. It's better than nothing.' _

Kid Rot continued running with Abby closely after him. She reached out her hand, trying to grab his jacket but he was too fast for her. "Awe, this reminds me of old times, doesn't it Abby." Kid Rot mocked. He suddenly stopped when he saw Ty coming towards him.

"Give it up Kid Rot, you're surrounded." Abby stated.

Kid Rot smirked. He sent a rot-blast at Ty's feet. "Oh, no." The floor under the male Grossologist crumbled and fell, taking Ty with it. Ty pulled out his grappling-claw (you know that mechanical claw he often uses to analyze things with) and fired it. The claw clamped down at the edge of the hole in the ceiling, stopping Ty's fall.

"See yah." Kid Rot said before disappearing thru the nearest wall.

Abby ran to the hole in the floor. "Ty?"

"I am okay." Ty responded as he dangled from the wire.

"I am going after him. Find me when you're done climbing." Abby said and turned to chase after their enemy.

"What? No, we have to stick together." Ty called out but it was no use. Abby heard him but would not listen. All she could think about was getting Chester back.

She figured Kid Rot must be in the next room. The glass doors were open so she carefully stepped in. A serious expression was like carved into her face. The lamps in the room had been broken so it was rather dark despite the presence of windows. The room had an animal exhibit. It was filled with rows after rows of stuffed mammals but they had all been partly rotten. Their glass-eyes had dropped out of their sockets and what was left of their fur hanged from their bodies like old cobwebs.

Suddenly, the doors slammed shut behind her. She jumped and instinctively drew her goopshooter. Her breathing got heavier from apprehension.

"Abby, I think you and I need to talk." Kid Rot's voice echoed thru the gallery.

Fighting her apprehension, Abby walked further into the animal exhibit. Holding up her weapon. "I'm sorry, I've made it a role not to negotiate with parasitic maniacs. So, why don't you just let go of Chester so we can take him back to the gaglab." _'So we can rip your slithering core out of my boyfriend and incinerate it.'_

"I'm sorry but Chester is not here and if he ever was, you never meet him." Kid Rot said from some unclear location. The echo made it hard for Abby to pinpoint his whereabouts.

"What do you mean?" Abby asked as she moved thru the stuffed wolfs and bears.

* * *

"What do you mean?" Chester asked inside Kid Rot's head. "Wha-what are you talking about?"

The current owner of his body stood with his back towards him. He tilted his head so he could glance at the blond. Kid Rot smiled nonchalantly. "It's an art I have perfected. It's called lying."

* * *

"You never meet him before he created me, did you?" Kid Rot pressured on.

"What does that have to do with anything?" Abby asked frustrated.

"How can you really know a man if he constantly has a demon inside him that changes how he feels?" Kid Rot queried. A certain sadistic delight was evident in his voice.

'_Kid Rot is only trying to psych you out, don't fall for it.' _"Nice try but I have spent enough time with Chester to tell the difference between him and a monster like you." Abby answered. She suddenly turned around and aimed her goopshooter at what she fought was Kid Rot but when she looked closer she saw it was a stuffed mandrill. To her, all shadows looked like Kid Rot in the dark.

"I was never gone Abby, I was always here with you." Kid Rot said in a somewhat sincere manner but it was soon followed up by a mocking giggle.

"You're lying." Abby said as she ducked behind a stuffed buffalo. She could have sworn she saw him on the other side of the room.

"Awe, Abby. I had hoped you knew me a bit better than that. Do you really think I am so generous that I would leave Chester's body for yours when I could have the both of you?"

"Don't make me laugh. Chester have been himself ever since you gave him up."

Kid Rot laughed uncontrollable. "I am a marvelous performer. Chester was just a role I played. You said yourself that you wouldn't join me. "_Not in a million years." _

Abby walked across the room. She passed a tiger, a coyote and then… _Kid Rot. _The parasite pounced on her like a jungle cat. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her to the floor. Abby hissed and tried to struggle free but Kid Rot's inhuman strength kept her down.

"I knew you would never fall for me," Kid Rot tilted his head a bit, "but you could still fall for Chester. After all, who else but you would fall for someone as helpless and weak as him?" His lips treaded closely above her face. She could feel his warm breath on her skin.

"The fact that you would say that proves you are lying." Abby exclaimed coldly. She got a foot in under him and kicked him so hard in the stomach that he fell of her. Abby quickly got onto her feet and placed a foot on Kid Rot's chest, pinning him to the floor. She aimed her goopshooter at him. Abby knew she had no way of actually hurting him with it but maybe it would instill some fear in him. "Chester is stronger than you think, even stronger than me."

Kid Rot smirked. "Yeah, you just want a strong man to wrap his protective arms around you, don't yah?" His voice dripped with sarcasm. "I understood that you had a fetish for sniveling sad-stories so I decided to become what you wanted."

Abby's scowl hardened. She added more pressure to the foot on top of him. _'Don't listen to his lies.' _She squeezed the trigger.

"Wait." Kid Rot cried out. "What if I proved to you that I really am Chester?"

Abby squinted her eyes. "Like you could."

Kid Rot peacefully leaned his head back and a shimmer washed over him. Once it passed his appearance changed to Chester. Abby flinched. Those large sad eyes that stared up at her looked exactly like her lover's. "Abby, knowing I have someone like you in my life, someone that cares, that helps more than you could imagine. Thank you. You mean everything to me, Abby." He said the exact same thing the first night they kissed.

Startled, Abby stepped back. _'No, it can't be true.' _Her thought was like an adamant center but it was in the eye of a storm of doubt and horrendous notions. "Chester?"

"No, I am Kid Rot. I have always been Kid Rot." He said in an innocent tone. He carefully approached her. Abby took a step back. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you." He reassured her before placing his hands on her shoulders. He kissed her once more but instead of the forceful kiss he gave her before, it was tender. The way Chester usually kissed her. Their lips parted but his face was still close to her's. Abby felt like she was in a dream without knowing where she came from or what was truly happening.

"This doesn't make sense." Abby argued. "You said I was ugly, that you were only interested in me because of Chester."

"I wanted to hurt you because you tried to hurt me. I'm sorry." He once again sounded so much like Chester.

"If you are anything like the boy I fell in love with than you know that all of this is wrong." Abby pleaded.

Kid Rot frowned and his appearance changed back to its normal self. "I am sorry Abby." He stepped away from her. "But the one thing I love more than you is total and complete annihilation of all thing living." The maniac raised his arms and what was left of the animal exhibit started decomposing. A wolf's head fell of its body and hanged from the neck by its last piece of fabric. The scaly legs of an eagle withered and the bird fell off its base, leaving only its clawed feet left. Kid Rot laughed manically. "At the end of this day you and I will be king and queen of a town of rot."

Suddenly, a barrage of smoke bombs hit like a wave between Abby and Kid Rot. Kid Rot coughed violently. It was obviously the same ineffectual yet painful anti-dote he was hit with earlier.

Abby stared at the vague figure of Kid Rot behind the smokescreen when Ty ran up to her and grabbed her wrist. "Abby, we have to go." He tried to pull her with him but Abby wouldn't move.

"But-but Chester." She stammered.

"Abby, we don't have the means to fight him, even less capture him. We have to go, now!" Ty ordered sternly.

Abby had always been the older, more dominating sibling. Always looking after her little brother _yet_ for the first time in her life she felt smaller than her brother.

The two ran out of the gallery, down the stairs and out of the museum. Abby, still in shock, had barely even noticed they had covered such a distance. They quickly boarded the Ty-Mobile. The Ty-Mobile was smaller and sleeker than the GRS-1 and lacked storage space. It had two seats, one placed behind the other. Ty took the pilot seat. Ty pushed a button and a pair of grasshopper-like hind legs protruded from the vehicle. The legs sprinted and the Ty-Mobile leaped into the distance.

One of the museum walls decayed just in time for Kid Rot to see the vehicle leave. The chemicals had annoyed him but the sight of victory made him grin. "Yes, that's right. Run and lick your wounds, they are already infected." He chuckled to himself.

* * *

"Why?" Chester asked as tears started to pool around his eyes. "Why did you tell Abby those things?"

Kid Rot turned to his host's avatar. "_Why_ you ask?" He imposingly walked up to Chester. "Because I am still playing the same game, Chester. I am going to hurt everyone where it hurts. Also, I want things to go back to the way they were." He grabbed Chester's hair and pressed the scrawny boy against his body. Kid Rot then twisted Chester's hair, forcing him to look up at his face. "I want my favorite toy back and I can't have Abby polluting your mind. That girl has such a bad influence on you." A tear ran down Chester's cheek and Kid Rot locked his eyes on it. "You are crying. Let me dry those tears for you."

Kid Rot's index finger pressed down on the tear that rolled down Chester's cheek. The parasite smirked sinisterly and pressed harder. Soon, his finger pierced Chester's skin and drilled a hole thru his cheek. Chester screamed in agony.  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

* * *

Back in the gaglab.

LabRat typed in front of the computer, analyzing new data they got on this latest Kid Rot infestation. Next to him was Ty who leaned back against the table. A disgruntle sneer grazed Ty's face. "I can't believe that our anti-dote didn't work."

"Yeah, this new incarnation of Kid Rot must be generating new cells really fast," LabRat said and raised an annoyed eyebrow, "of course, I could create a new anti-dote if I had a good DNA sample."

"What do you mean? Abby brought a mouthful of Kid Rot-DNA. Literally." Ty stated.

"Yeah but it's completely tainted with Abby's DNA." LabRat argued.

"Doesn't matter, another anti-dote would just be a short time solution since the Kid Rot-bacteria adapt to new drugs. Try to think up some way we can cure him without chemicals." Ty reasoned.

"_The miracles you ask of me." _LabRat muttered and rolled his eyes. A new message came up on his screen. He read it and he smiled a bit. He leaned his head back. "Hey Abby, your test came back negative. Isn't that good?" LabRat called out.

Since they came back, The Director had once against asked to have Abby checked for the Kid Rot-bacteria and this time Abby hadn't protested.

The female Grossologist sat quietly on a small table a bit further away from the other two. She had her arms close to her body and her face tilting down. She hadn't felt this helpless since Kid Rot had her chained-up in that basement. Had everything she had with Chester been a lie? In that case, what was the point with all of this? Everything felt so hopeless. She would almost have welcomed Kid Rot's deadly touch by now.

"I said, Isn't it?" LabRat repeated but Abby didn't respond.

Ty observed his sister with large sympathetic eyes. _'When we first heard of Chester's condition she was so determined to save him but now she seem so…gloomy. Granted, I would probably be even worse of if this happened to Naomi but still, something is not right here.'_

He carefully walked up to her. "How are you holding up, Abby?"

Abby looked up at him. "It's hopeless." She sighed.

Ty blinked perplexed. "Just because the anti-dote didn't take doesn't mean we give up, Abby. We will get him back."

"No we won't because-because," Abby felt as if she was chocking and finally she couldn't hold it back any longer. She started crying. "Chester was never there, Ty. It was just a-just a trick Kid Rot played on us. Chester never loved me cause he was never there. It was just Kid Rot playing with me while he grew stronger." Abby tried to explain but her sobbing disrupted her sentences, making it a bit hard to understand. Ty was taken aback and LabRat had stopped working to listen to Abby.

"Why do you think that, Abby?" Ty asked concerned.

"Kid Rot told me."

"He was probably lying." Ty shrugged.

"No, he told me things. Things only Chester told me, things only I told him." Abby argued.

Ty squatted down a bit so he and his sister would be face to face with one another. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Abby, think. Kid Rot is in Chester's brain. That means he has access to Chester's memories. He only said those things to hurt you, to psych you out."

Abby tilted her head down. What Ty said made a lot of sense. Why hadn't she thought of it? "A-are you sure?"

"Of course." Ty said smilingly. "I can tell, Chester is real and he is crazy about you." Affectionately, he raised her chin up a bit with his index before backing away. Abby smiled a genuine smile. Ty gave her a friendly punch. "So, wanna help us brainstorming?" he asked, gesturing towards LabRat. LabRat smiled reassuringly and Hermes jumped up on his master's shoulder.

Abby stroked away some of her tears. She then stood up with a determined expression. "Yes, let's brainstorm till the walls apart."

She looked at her teammates with newfound hope.

* * *

Meanwhile, in a rundown house, in a room that was only lit by a dim light in the ceiling, an evil man was preparing for lunch. A large table had been set with a multitude of food. Most of it was meat. Among other things there was a fried turkey with its feet still on, a half-meter salami next to a loaf of dark bread, a honeyglazed ham, a long link of bratwurst, meatballs floating in a bowl of red sauce, a lamb loin, Omaha steak and several bottles of red wine.

Basso Profondo, disgraced opera singer turned deranged supervillain sat down at the only chair by the table. His stomach repulsively grumbled so he stroked it with his boney, liver spotted hand. He had been fasting for days in preparation for this. Right now he was skinny but once he ate all this he would not only be bloated but also have powers beyond that of normal men. He picked up a fork and stabbed it into a sausage. He took a bite of it. At first it tasted like he thought it would taste but then he felt the putrid taste of rancid meat. His body stiffen and he spit it out.

"Disgusting. I should sue the lowlife that sold me rancid sausage." Basso lamented before placing the Omaha steak on his plate. He carved out a good piece of it which he studied. To his despair he saw it was spotted with blots of purple and gray. Now when he thought of it, the entire room smelled odd. "Wha-what is going on here?"

"You shouldn't eat food that is out of date mister, it will make you sick."

The vampire-like villain turned and was so shocked at what he saw that he jumped off the chair. It was Kid Rot. He sat in a window frame, resting his back against the frame. He smiled at Basso and impishly tilted his head.

Basso got so scared that he stepped back to the very end of the room. The look of this relatively short person was too unnerving for him. Basso had also grown increasingly more paranoid since he was defeated by the Grossologists. "What-who are you?" He asked puzzled.

Kid Rot gingerly leaped of the window frame and started advancing on Basso. "A showman, just like you." The parasite stopped by the table and ripped of the leg of a turkey. The meat started turning green. The parasite pretty much sucked the meat of the bone and swallowed it. "You know, it's funny. Wherever I go and no matter how fast I get there, the meat has already gone bad before I arrive." Kid Rot grinned like he expected the former opera singer to find it funny. "The name is Kid Rot by the way."

"What do you want?" Basso asked.

"I am a big fan of yours Mr. Profondo. Not of your musical work, I am more of a rock fan than an opera enthusiast but I do like your criminal work and I would have good use for a man of your talents for my next big plan." Kid Rot explained. He tossed the turkey bone over his shoulder and as he approached Profondo the rest of food on the table rotted.

"Plan? What plan?" Basso Profondo asked. He had to admit that despite his fear he was also a bit curious. Kid Rot got dangerously close to Basso. The opera singer backed up against the wall.

"I am planning to hold a concert Mr. Profondo. The biggest, loudest, wildest concert this city has ever seen," Kid Rot smirked wickedly, "and will never see again."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Out of all the chapters so far this one went thru the most rewriting. I actually had to scrap entire scenes when trying to write this. One of the problems I had was with Abby. I just didn't really know how to portray her. On one hand she is in a very vulnerable position here but on the other hand she is a very strong person even at the worst of times so hopefully I didn't make her seem too weak or too harsh.  
I am guessing that those of you that aren't hardcore fans of the show is scratching their heads, wondering who Basso Profondo is. Basso Profondo was only in one episode (**_**Ain't Over Till the Fat Man Sings). **_**He is not really one of my favorite villains but he will have a key role in the upcoming chapters. Originally I was planning to introduce him first in the next chapter but I realized that if I introduced him here I could concentrate more on Chester &amp; Abby in the next chapter.  
So, the Ty-Mobile is back. I felt I could bring it in since I had Insectiva totally wrecke the GRS-1 at their last mission. You're welcome fans. ;) **

**I guess we should talk a bit about Kid Rot, Chester &amp; Abby in this chapter. Of course Kid Rot is lying when he says that he has manipulated everything, the way I have written the story so far makes this pretty obvious so I couldn't really make much of a mystery out of it (yeah, I pretty much shot myself in the foot there) but the idea of Kid Rot manipulating Chester's feelings, which he have done to some degree before, is an interesting subject I wanted to touch on.  
Love is not some magical bound between two people that we can't explain. We know how it works. It's mostly a combination of chemical reactions and psychological elements. Most writers don't seem to want to touch on this since most of them thinks it diminishes the romance in a story but to me it actually enhances it since it shows how delicate love can be. But it is also part of what makes a character like Kid Rot so scary. If a person can control your body, why not your hormone glands or brainwave patterns as well?**

**I might explore those themes in another story but I am glad I could at least lightly touch on it here. **

**The title for this chapter was a parody on the song '_You Can't Stop Rock N Rolle' _by _Twisted Sister. _**

**Despite all the troubles I had writing this chapter, I hope you all enjoyed this.**

**Please leave a review. I would appreciate it a bunch. **

**See you next time.  
**


	21. The Kid vs The Rot

**So before we start this chapter, I want to address and reply one a few comments I got from guest readers.  
**

'_**Sans: KID ROT DOES NOT KILL. IF HE DOES HE WOULD HAVE DESTROYED TY.'**_**  
As I stated in the description and later in one of the ANs, this is an AU story which gives me a bit of leeway. Also, I am pretty certain Kid Rot would have killed in the series if it wasn't family friendly.**

'_**Guest: If that's really how you view love, than feel sorry for you. If love is so "delicate," than why are couples willing to sacrifice so much for each other, and how are they (not always) able to stay together no matter how many times they argue? The answer is because love is the most powerful thing in the world. You either need to expeience it for yourself, or give it another chance to see. Anyway, can't wait for the next chapter.'  
**_**I think I can spot where the breakdown in communication happened here. You seem to misunderstand my use of the word delicate. Not your fault since the definition of 'delicate' is pretty diverse. Delicate does not always mean that something is weak or fragile. A bird is delicate yet it has to be strong to be able to fly. People like Chester is delicate yet he is strong enough to get thru adversities. With 'delicate' I meant sensitive and in need of care. Of course, looking back at what I say I start to wonder if even that use of the word is applicable in all cases. If you ask people what true love is you will probably get different answers.**

**Please, if you have an account for this website, use it whenever you review any of my stories. That way I can reply to your comment directly instead of making it public. So with that out of the way, let's begin this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 21: The Kid vs The Rot**

Kid Rot gazed proudly at his creation that towered over the park. It was a strange sort of satisfaction he was feeling. Kid Rot had always hated the act of creation, it went against his nature but this would help him spread destruction so it was all to his benefit.

He turned his attention to Basso Profondo, working on a large loudspeaker. Basso had recently had a change in style, more than being extremely bloated by gas that is. Instead of his dark tuxedo, he wore a black leather jacket so long that it almost reached the ground when he stood up. _More Blade, less Dracula_, was what Kid Rot told him would catch the attention of the hip new generation.

"How are we coming along mate?" Kid Rot asked. Basso Profondo looked up from his work. He was about to answer Kid Rot but got way too disturbed by what the parasite was holding under his arm. "What, this?" Kid Rot jerked the arm that was holding. "It's just another piece to our magnum opus. So, back to my question."

"Um, yes, yes, everything is proceeding as planned, Kid Rot." Basso Profondo replied, trying to sound professional despite his fears. Basso had at first been rather excited about working with Kid Rot. His plan would elevate the former opera singer back to his former level of fame but he realized a long time ago that things had gone way, way too far. _Too_ far to stop now.

'_No matter what I do from here on, I am marked for hell.' _He thought.

* * *

"You are a monster Kid Rot." Chester exclaimed with an accusing finger at the parasite. They were still on the tiny island in the middle of the swamp, inside Chester's own mind. "Taking control of my body is one thing but this…this is abominable."

"Can't you do anything but complain?" Kid Rot asked annoyed.

"Since I am a prisoner in my own mind, no." Chester replied.

Kid Rot smiled a little. On one hand, Chester's new attitude bugged him but on the other hand it did give him the chance to submit his host's conscience for even more unspeakable tortures. Still, he had to snare Chester first. "I still don't get why you complain so much. I am only doing what we both want Chester. To spread destruction and death." He stated while moving a bit closer to his host.

"I never wanted to harm anyone. I wanted to help the world. I wanted to cure world hunger." Chester exclaimed. He just stepped into his snare.

"Yeah, that is what you keep telling yourself and what you keep selling to others. That's an easy way for you to relinquish responsibility for my actions but I know you." The parasite pushed Chester to the ground. He then pressed a foot against Chester's face. "I know you better than anyone Chester. I know you all the way down to your rotten little core. You have never cared about anyone but yourself. All you wanted was for people to like you even if those people treated you like dirt. Tell me, how lowly does one has to be to be want to be part of something that hates you?"

"I wanted to prove I was worth something." Chester said as some tears pressed themselves out from his eyes and ran down his cheek.

"Only because you felt you had no other choice. In secret, in your darkest depth, you wanted them to suffer for what they did to you. Deep down you wanted to do what I do. No wonder I came from you. We both hate and are hated by this green world" Kid Rot explained.

"That's not true."

"O really?" Kid Rot stepped off Chester and the blond was quick to get onto his feet. Kid Rot's left hand glowed with dark energy. The earth gave way and revealed a small tunnel in the ground.

"What-what's that?" Chester asked.

"A rabbit hole. If you want to learn the truth about yourself you have to get down there. A little warning thou, if you find candy with the words _'eat me'_, don't eat it. The candy is a lie." Kid Rot explained.

"Why would I do anything you tell me?" Chester asked with a sneer.

Kid Rot shrugged. "The choice is yours." With a mean-spirited chuckle, the parasite evaporated in a puff of dark smoke.

Chester looked around for any sign of Kid Rot but it seemed like he was alone, well not completely since Kid Rot was always watching him in here. He huffed annoyed before glancing at the 'rabbit hole'.

'_Yeah, as if I would do anything Kid Rot tells me. I am not that dumb.' _He turned to the watery swamp. _'I can't just stand here. I have to find a way to help Abby &amp; Ty defeat Kid Rot. Maybe I can find something in this swamp.' _Chester waded out into the murky knee-high water. He continued walking thru the swamp, passing by tree after tree, all of them dead.

He then passed the skeleton of a dead deer…for the second time. "Oh, no I am back where I started." Chester lamented. He looked at the small island sticking up in the middle of the swamp. The tiny tunnel was still there. He sighed. "Who am I kidding? This place doesn't have an end or a beginning, it's all in my head. I can't just leave by walking away from this place."

Chester sighed again before walking up to the small hole. He got onto his hands and knees and gazed worryingly into the opening. He hesitantly stuck in a hand and felt around. Only dirt.

'_He wouldn't kill me. If he wanted to, he would have done so a long time ago.'_

With that thought in mind, Chester sat down in front of the hole and slowly pushed himself down the tunnel. It was very tight, just large enough for him to squeeze thru. The last of the light soon disappeared behind him. The smell inside was very bitter. Suddenly, the tunnel steeped sharply. He had no time to back away so he slide down in high speed.

After sliding for a long time, Chester finally hit something. Flat ground. He groggily stood up but couldn't see anything. "Kid? Kid, where am I?"

Kid Rot stepped out of the darkness. Grinning sadistically as usual. "You are at the deepest level of your subconsciousness. Here is where all your memories and deepest desires are stored. It's a place without secrets or lies."

Suddenly, a bright light flashed Chester blind and when he opened his eyes again he relieved a memory.

* * *

Chester was seven years old. He was tied with a rope to a tree. In front of him was four guys just as old as him. All of them had pinecones by their feet and in their hands.

"I just asked if I could play with you guys." Young Chester whimpered.

"Well this is the way we play. With fags like you." One of the boys, a tall youngster with blond hair mocked. "Ready, aim, shoot!" All four of them started throwing pinecones at Chester. He tried to avoid them by moving his head but they hit him anyway. They hit his cheeks, his ears, his lips, his thin bone and his eyes. Places where they hurt the most.

"Aouw, aouw, aouw! Stop it! It hurts." Chester shouted pleadingly.

A fifth boy ran onto the woodland scene, carrying some green plants in his gloved hands. "Hey guys, look what I found." The tall blond came over to look at what his comrade held in. "Stinging nettle."

Three of the boys took of the venomous plant and with grinning faces approached the tied-up Chester. "Please don't." He whimpered. The three boys proceeded with rubbing the nettle against Chester's legs, neck and face. Chester shrieked and jerked his body as the plant stung his skin. The other boys laughed delighted before running away, leaving Chester tied to the tree with red itching skin. Chester didn't do anything thou. He just stood there with his head hanging and tears running.

* * *

The memory pasted. Chester rubbed his shoulder nervously. "What is the meaning of this Kid Rot?"

Kid Rot's voice echoed an answer. "I am not in control here. Your mind are just giving you the answer you are looking for. You know that no one can ever truly love you. Tell me, why would you want to be a part of a world that has done nothing but rejected you and hurt you?"

Another memory flashed.

* * *

A nine year old Chester sat in his grandfather's kitchen. He was cutting pictures out of some old newspapers and glued them to a white paper. It was fun to make collage. He just sat there, humming a happy tune and smearing glue.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?" a deep manly voice shouted sternly.

Chester turned to see his grandfather, Thomas Humus standing by the kitchen entrance. His face was twisted into an angry scowl and his eyes were wide open. It was like he had seen something blasphemous.

It of course made Chester nervous. "I-I just…I wanted…" He couldn't find the words. _'What would he want to hear? What is he asking?'_

"Get out of my house!" His grandfather barked sternly and pointed to the door in the lobby.

"But I…I didn't…" Chester stammered.

"OUT!" The old man shouted loudly. He marched right up to Chester, grabbed him by the back of his color and pushed him thru the room before forcing him out the door. Chester stumbled but managed to keep his balance. He looked up at his grandfather with confused eyes. He was the only family he still had. "Stay out of my house, damn kids!" He warned before slamming the door.

Chester looked down at the ground. What would he do now? He had no friends to go to and it was a long way to the nearest neighbor. He walked to the other side of the house. The lawn hadn't been mowed in months and was littered with old scrap metal. He sat down by the wall and hugged his legs. _'What did I do wrong? I was certain I only cut yesterday's paper. It was in the paper waste bag. What did I do wrong?'_

* * *

"He had Alzheimer's. He didn't know what he was doing." Chester argued.

"Yet no one cared that a man that couldn't even remember how to tie his shoelaces was taking care of an orphan." Kid Rot exclaimed.

Chester felt his legs weaken. His body was in pain. He fell to his knees. He wrapped his arms around his chest in a feeble attempt at comfort. _"Abby."_ He muttered. "Abby cares about me. I WANT ABBY!"

"Oh Chester." Kid Rot's voice was surprisingly caring. "Have you forgotten? Your relationship with her was staged from start to finish." Kid Rot sat down in front of Chester. He gently placed his hands on Chester's shoulders and rested his forehead against Chester's. "Have you forgotten how love feels Chester?"

Another flash of light began another memory.

* * *

At age 10,

Chester stood in the classroom. Class hadn't started yet. He stared at the most beautiful girl he knew. Myra. A cute girl with red bouncy hair, ample cheeks and adoring green eyes. Chester had been fantasizing about her for months. He had barely talked to her thou. Chester was a shy unpopular boy and she was one of the most popular girls in class and there was good reasons for it. She was really nice and fun to be with.

Even thou Chester's grandpa had already moved to a nursing home and Chester had been put in an orphanage, he still visited his grandpa even thou each time he did it seemed like the old man remembered him less and less. He asked his grandpa what to do about his feelings for Myra. His grandpa had told him to be upfront about it.

It was Valentine 's Day and Chester felt it was the perfect opportunity to confess his feelings for Myra. In his hands he fondled a heart shaped Valentine's card. The front had glitter on it and a text that said 'For Myra'. On the other side it had a text that described just how he felt about her. He carefully walked up to her.

"My-Myra?" He gulped nervously.

"Hey Chester. What do you want?" Myra asked nicely.

Chester had to force his hands not to shake as he reached out the card. "I just wanted to say…Happy Valentine's day."

Myra took the card and raised a puzzled eyebrow. "Um, thanks."

Thanks? Okay, so maybe she wasn't thrilled but it wasn't a complete rejection. It was even better than he had hoped. He smiled a little.

"Aww look. Myra and freaky Chester is in love." A boy said. Soon, several of their classmates gathered around them. They started to mock them.

"Are you gonna kiss him Myra?" "Myra is Fester-Chester's girlfriend!" "Myra &amp; Chester sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G." "O my God, I can't believe that Myra likes that ugly creep."

Myra's adorable face twisted into an angry scowl. She crumbled the Valentine's card in her hand. "No I don't! I don't like him! I never have! He creeps me out too! Stop making fun of me!" She shouted at the top of her lungs.

Little Chester felt as if someone had stabbed him in the chest. He could feel tears swelling behind his eyes. He looked to the floor so no one would see him cry.

* * *

Later at recess.

Chester was hiding inside the schools climbing dome (A black dome with holes in it). Chester often hide there to get away from the others when he was sad or when bullies were hunting him.

"Thank you Ron." He heard Myra's voice. Caught by curiosity, Chester looked out thru one of the holes. He saw Myra sitting on a bench next to Ron, another one of Chester's classmates. He was tall with a cute face and nut-brown hair. In Myra's hand was a red heart-shaped card.

"You're welcome." Ron said blushing.

"It's so nice of you. Today have been such a rotten day for me." Myra lamented. "That geek Chester gave me a Valentine's card and since then everyone has been picking on me cause they think I like him."

Chester started to feel sick to his stomach. His little Myra didn't like him, she hated him and even worse, his affection had brought her misery.

"Well, do you know what I think?" Ron said. Myra looked up at him with adoring eyes. "I think you're incredible and you deserve better than some creepy nerd."

"Awe Ron, that is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." Myra said honestly. She arched her neck and Ron leaned down towards her and their lips locked onto one another.

Startled, Chester turned away and crawled backwards until his back hit the wall. He started crying into his hands.

The class rejoiced over the newfound couple and hated Chester even more for trying to come between them.

* * *

As the years passed by and Chester graduated from middle school to high school he fell in love with plenty of other girls. Gwen, Johanna, Sandra. But he never tried to talk to them. Years of constant humiliation and abuse had left him way too insecure to think he would have any chance with any girl. He was seen as that weird kid that lived with his creepy grandpa. Of course Chester didn't live with his grandpa anymore but since he still lived in the same town and had always gone to the same school few knew he had been separated from his grandpa. Not that they really cared.

Then at the age of 15 he meet a girl named Sarah. Sarah was tall with chocolate brown skin and long hair branded into a ponytail. She was intelligent, athletic, compassionate and the most amazing thing of all, she was one of the few that actually tolerated Chester. One time when they had gym class together they got to play football on the same team. Chester got the ball but tripped and lost it to the other team. Most of the others moaned and lamented to have him on the team but Sarah pulled him to his feet and then told him in a friendly manner to try harder. She encouraged Chester.

When the teacher paired the two up for a history project Sarah seemed okay with it. Every time anyone had been paired with him they used to moan and ask if they could have someone else but not her. She even suggested they could work during recess. She had a key to one of the club-rooms so they could work in there.

Even thou Chester was in love with her he didn't let that cloud his judgement. There was no reason why a strong, beautiful girl like Sarah would like an ugly, weak guy like him and yet when he saw her smile he couldn't help but think _'Maybe.'_

Then came the day that would end whatever self-esteem Chester had left.

He walked thru the school corridor, heading for the clubroom. Blood ran from his nose, his eyes were red from tears, his lip was swollen and someone had drew a large L on his forehead with an ink pen. Moments earlier, two guys had ambushed him and beat him up. It started with backhanded compliments and teasing. Chester told them to get lost which had escalated into a full-on fight.

He walked slowly with his head down. He felt so broken and useless. _'Why do people want to harm me? Why did no one try to help me? I already know that they are stronger and more likebull than me so why do they feel compelled to remind me?'_

After a stiff, slow walk thru the corridor he finally reached the clubroom. He opened the door and discovered that Sarah was already there. "Chester, what happened?" She asked concerned.

Concerned!

Chester lifted his head up, looking at Sarah's worried expression with disbelief. Suddenly, Sarah became so much more than just another crush for him. She became a promise. A promise of a better future, that someone might think of him as something more than the punching bag people always treated him as.

Before Chester could think anymore, he had crossed the room and was wrapping his arms around Sarah's body. He unintentionally buried his face in her cleavage and cried. Tears and blood soiled her shirt and stained her breasts as Chester tried to explain what happened but nothing he said was comprehensible. Sarah was disgusted. "Get off me, Chester!" She demanded as she struggled to get away from his grip. After squirming and slapping him several times she finally managed to push him off her and he hit the floor.

She stared down at her ruined black tube top and then gave Chester a disgusted glare before running out of the room. Chester scampered to the corner of the room and crawled up into a ball. After ten minutes of crying in silence he whispered, _"I'm sorry."_

The next day the entire school was filled with whispers of what happened between the two. Every rumor, more horrible than the last but everyone seem to agree that Chester was the one to blame. Chester tried to talk to Sarah but she refused to talk to him.

"Let's finish the fucking project and then I never want to speak to you again!" She shouted at him.

After that, Chester had no more friends in Greenbotle. Even the few that had sympathized with him (although not necessarily liked him) didn't care anymore.

* * *

"Wow, though break but that's love for you." Kid Rot chuckled, now standing next to the kneeling Chester. The more negative emotions that filled Chester the stronger Kid Rot got.

"Stop showing me these. Please, get me out of here." Chester pleaded.

"I am not showing you anything and you can't escape this. We are inside you Chester and you are nothing but bitter and full of hate."

Another flash was followed by more memories.

* * *

A thirteen year old Chester crouched submissively to a taller boy in the school corridor. The other teen glared and smirked menacingly at Chester. "So, money or a beating?"

"I-I don't have an-any money on me today Hank." Chester replied fearfully.

"Then I guess it will be a beating."

Hank was about to beat him but Chester recoiled and said; "Wait! Wait!"

This caused Hank to lower his fist. He tilted his head, looking judgmental. Chester sighed before reluctantly fishing up a twenty dollar bill from his pocket. He slowly held it out for the bully. Hank took the money. "Okay, then." He turned sideways, like he was about to leave when he suddenly turned back and pretended to punch Chester but stopped an inch from the blonde boy's face. Chester still flinched which made Hank laughed. "You are so lame." He continued laughing as he started walking down the hallway.

Chester felt as if his blood was boiling. He was so angry that his fist bowled to the point that his nails dented his palm. "YOU ARE SUCH A LOSER, HANK!" He screamed in anger.

Hank stopped before turning around. "Yeah, me. I am the loser." He gestured a finger at his chest. "You were the one that gave me twenty bucks." He walked back to Chester. "Tell me Chester, how many friends do you have?"

Chester looked to the floor, feeling both ashamed and scared. He didn't have many friends, if any at all.

Hank smirked a little. "I thought so. No one likes you Chester but I, I have plenty of friends. So who really is the loser?"

Once again, Chester didn't respond. Hank's smirk widen a bit more. He then pushed Chester roughly into the nearest wall. Hank chuckled and walked off. At the end of the corridor he met up with his girlfriend. She kissed him and they left together.

Chester was left standing in the corridor. He was a whirlpool of negative emotions. He hated Hank for being so mean but he hated himself more for being so weak. He started punching the nearest locker, taking out all his insecurities and anger on the inanimate object.

A group of girls walked pass him. "Oy Chester, have the locker been that bad to you?" One of them teased and all the girls giggled.

Chester turned to them. "Shut up Tessa! I hate you! I hate all of you!" He shouted so his throat got sour.

Some of the girls gave him a spiteful glare while the others simple ignored him. They walked away without saying a word.

Chester's body felt like a loaded spring. His shoulders arched and fell with his heavy breathing. He then punched the locker again. His knuckles really hurt. He rested his forehead against the locker door and his lips tighten. He was so angry, so filled with rage but he also felt too weak to do anything, like boiling water inside a closed pot.

* * *

Chester lied in his bed, crying. How old was he here?

Didn't matter. Chester was used to crying himself to sleep at night. With everyone at sleep, he could finally get some privacy. He cried not just because everything he had to endure thru the day but also out of fear. Fear that tomorrow would be the same, that there would be no stop to it.

"_I am not a bad person." _Chester whispered to himself. _"I am not a bad person." _But those where just words and real life didn't seem to give them much credit. If he really was a good person shouldn't that be reflected in how people treated him? Yet no one wanted him. Not as a friend and not as a son.

The adults told him the same thing over and over again. "_Be yourself and people will like you." "What others think about you shouldn't matter." _In real life thou, those wisdoms didn't seem applicable. Chester hated himself as much as others hated him.

* * *

The only times when Chester didn't feel this way was when he worked on science. Science was his escape from the cruel life he lived cause in science it didn't matter who you were. It didn't matter if you were ugly, unpopular or poor, all that mattered was the truth. It felt good finally being able to do something right.

Chester also liked stories cause in many of those stories the heroes where just like him. They were outcasts that no one liked yet once they proved themselves to be heroes everyone liked them. It made Chester hope that maybe he could be a hero one day as well.

After being given a project on plant growth by his biology teacher Chester got the idea to try and stop decomposition. The idea was sound. Almost anything could be achieved thru biochemistry. If he succeeded he would be a hero, he would be able to save the world and in return the world would love him. Of course he didn't send in such an important project to his teacher. He worked on Project Ernutet for over a year, trying desperately to uncover the secrets of rot, all the while dealing with his normal sucky life.

One of the wardens at the orphanage, one of the nicer ones that cared for Chester, told him that he couldn't make people like him. All he could do was be himself and treat people like he wanted to be treated but Chester refused to accept it. He had to be able to make people like him, this had to work, otherwise how would he ever be happy.

* * *

One day after school, Chester opened the door to his room at the orphanage and what he saw made him gasp in horror. In the middle of the room stood a little girl with a book in her hand. Torn off pages laid scattered all over the room.

She looked at him with fearful eyes. "The others said that if I broke your stuff they let me play with them." She muttered.

Chester got so angry he was shacking. That had been a library book. The library card was one of the few privileges he had and now because of this girl he risked losing it. He marched right up to her with flaring nostrils and bowling fists. She was much smaller and much weaker than him. One of the few that was. Chester was swelling with anger. His hands gripped her temples. His intention was to either smash her head against the wall or head-butt her.

The girl just stared at him with wide open eyes. Her body was still. She was brave.

After a few nerve wracking moments, Chester sighed and let go of her head. "Get out of here." He exclaimed sternly. The girl dropped the book to the floor and quickly ran out of the room.

* * *

Wait!

Chester suddenly realized something.

"I didn't hurt her." He said in a monotone voice and slowly stood up. "I didn't hurt her." he repeated.

"Yeah, cause you're weak." Kid Rot smirked.

"No, because-because," Chester paused for a moment, it was like a giant puzzle was coming together for him, "I didn't want to hurt her because I know how pain feels. I have sympathy. I don't want people to feel the way I feel!" He shouted at the parasite.

"And what about the part of you that wish to see them hurt? What about me?" Kid Rot argued with a sinister smirk.

"What about the part of me that don't?" Chester barked back.

Kid Rot was taken aback by this. "So what? You suddenly like yourself all of a sudden?"

Chester blinked stunned and looked to the ground for a moment. "There are still things about myself I don't like but yes. I like myself and do you know what? I am not the only one."

Another flash was followed my more memories but this time they were a bit different.

* * *

Chester sat with Naomi and her two friends, Jasmine &amp; Cait in the school's lobby room. While Chester talked to Jasmine &amp; Cait, Naomi worked on his hair. Chester had been reluctant to let any other girl besides Abby to touch his hair but since he wanted to be more open with people he let her. Besides, he trusted Naomi and her friends.

"Wow, that's incredible Jasmine." Chester said.

"Jasmine always keeps up with the latest scientific data." Cait stated. It of course made the freckled girl smile.

"I wish I could afford subscribing to any of those science magazines but I'm saving up for my own apartment." Chester stated.

"You can borrow some of mine." Jasmine offered.

"Really? That-that's really nice of you." Chester exclaimed grateful.

"There, done." Naomi exclaimed.

"What did you do to my hair?" Chester asked.

"Look for yourself." Cait said and handed Chester a mirror. In the mirror Chester saw that Naomi had branded Chester's hair with three pink ribbons. The three girls started laughing and Chester felt a lump starting to form in his throat. He stiffly stood up and started walking away in a fast pace. He felt hurt.

"Chester, wait." He heard Jasmine shout and he turned back. Jasmine, Naomi &amp; Cait ran up to him.

Naomi took his hands. "We're sorry. We-we thought that you would find it funny too. We should have known better."

"Yes, please forgive us." Cait exclaimed.

Chester studied their faces. Jasmine &amp; Cait hung their heads in shame while Naomi looked at him with a mixture of shame and concern, and maybe a bit of hope that he wouldn't be too mad at them. They were genuinely sorry. They had hurt him but it was not intentional. Now it was Chester that started to feel ashamed. Why couldn't he take a simple joke? Why did he have to make them feel uncomfortable?

He scratched his neck. "No, I am sorry. I-I shouldn't overreact like that."

"Nah, I did wrong. Sorry." Naomi apologized. "Are you okay?"

Chester smiled. He patted the branded hairlocks a bit. "Yeah and you were right. It does look pretty funny."

Naomi laughed and gave him a hug. Jasmine &amp; Cait also hugged him and Cait took a picture with her cellphone of all of them together.

* * *

"So, what university do you want to get into after high school, Chester?" Ty asked as he, Chester and Andy played a video game in Andy's room.

"Well, if my grades are good enough I hope to get into Gray Matter University." Chester said as he tried to control his car on the TV-screen.

"Oh, the same as Abby, eh." Andy teased as he worked his controller.

Chester blushed. "Yeah."

"Are you two gonna move in together?" Ty asked.

Chester shrugged. "Maybe but it is in the city so it's not like Abby needs to move out of the house unless she wants to."

"Hey, wouldn't it be cool if Ty &amp; I started there too after we finish high school?" Andy suggested.

"Yeah, we three could meet after class and hang out along with Abby." Ty said, sounding pleased.

Chester couldn't help but smile. They actually enjoyed his company. "That sounds really awesome."

* * *

The next was a series of memories of him with Abby. His love.

He remembered the first kiss they shared on Abby's bed. Followed by the first hug Chester had received in years.

He remembered them sitting next to one another, one movie night. The film ended and as the credits rolled, Chester discovered that Abby had fallen asleep against his shoulder. It was cute but also kind of comical since Abby still had one hand in a bowl of popcorn and she was drooling onto his shirt. It was just so Abby. He leaned down and kissed her forehead. Abby smiled.

He remembered how she embarrassed him in front of their schoolmates by kissing him and rubbing his cheek, just so she could express her affection for him. She wasn't shy about her feelings and she was proud of him.

He remembered the way her beautiful eyes would glimmer as they gazed him every time he brought her flowers.

He remembered the last time he kissed her. _Him_ not Kid Rot. He kissed her gently yet passionately, pouring his soul into the action before promising her they would meet again the next day.

All the while her voice would echo over his memories.

"_I care about you and I want to be there for you." _

"_I promise I won't let anything bad happen to you."_

"_And he is funny, and strong and the smartest guy I know."_

"_I am in love with you."_

* * *

A somewhat stronger flash of light blinded Chester for a moment, then he remembered a moment from so far back he thought he had forgotten it.

He was six years old and visited his mother at the hospital. While he would later learn that she had cancer, at the moment he just thought she was sick. Meanwhile, he had stayed with their neighbor Miss Bellgood, a giant of a woman that looked like she was made of dough and smelt like cigarettes.

"There, now you can meet your mom." The nurse stated in a motherly tone and Chester stumbled into the room.

Even as a little kid Chester was ugly to look at. His hair was a lot longer than most boys. His skin had the color of muddied sand, his eyes were like puddles of brown and below them were wrinkles. He walked around in green boots that was a size too big for him, making him waddle whenever he walked.

His mother smiled happily at him from the bed were she laid. His mom looked very different from him. She had tan skin and raven hair. "Hey honey." She said sweetly.

"Hey mom." Young Chester greeted bluntly. He sounded worried.

"How has school been?" His mom asked.

Chester was hesitant to answer. He looked shamefully to the floor, trying to avoid his mother's gaze. "The other boys are mean to me mom." He finally answered.

His mom tilted her head. "Are they?"

"Yes. They said I couldn't play with them because I am ugly and look like a girl." Chester lamented. Sniveling a bit.

"Awe honey, come here." She opened up her arms and Chester climbed up onto the hospital bed. His mom wrapped her arms around him. She stroked his back reassuringly. "You are not ugly Chester, you are beautiful."

"Why are they so mean to me?"

She pushed him away a bit so she could look him in the eyes. "They just don't know any better honey but don't worry they will come around and see just how special you are." She brushed of some tears from Chester's cheek.

Chester nodded. "Okay."

"Now, Chester…" His mom took a deep breath. "I will have to go away for a while so you will have to stay with your grandpa while I'm gone. Do you remember grandpa?"

Chester shook his head. He had been less than three years old when he saw his grandpa the last time.

"Well, he will take care of you from now on so you have to promise me to be nice."

"To grandpa?" Chester asked puzzled.

His mom chuckled a bit. "No, to everyone silly. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Can you do that for me?" She placed a finger under his chin.

"Okay mom. " Chester replied.

She then stroked one of his hairlocks to the side before cupping one of his cheeks. "You are such a sweet boy Chester. You are so smart and so nice." The compliment made Chester smile. "You're the best thing to ever happen to me." His mom said.

Chester hugged her. "I love you mom."

She returned the hug. "I love you to."

* * *

"Sweet memories," Kid Rot said coyly, "but she is dead now and what she told you was wrong."

Surprisingly, Chester smirked. "No she wasn't. I have plenty of friends and I have Abby. She loves me and I love her."

Kid Rot sneered. "Have you forgotten everything I told you? You never loved her, I made you-

"That doesn't matter!" Chester quickly interrupted.

"Doesn't matter?" Kid Rot asked confused.

"Yeah, even if you somehow managed to control my hormones I would still love her for everything she has done for me. She sacrificed her body for me, risked her life for me. She treated me as a friend even thou she didn't have to but she did it because she cared about me. She helped me feel better about myself and she helped me make a better life for myself. The only one that is hurting me right now, is you!"

Kid Rot, quit taken aback by his host's words blinked baffled. "What about all those people that have hurt you in the past?"

"What about them?" Chester shrugged nonchalantly. "That's in the past and I have a much better life now so why care? Also, I have started to figure you out too Kid."

Kid Rot flinched a bit at an accusing finger that Chester stretched out at him.

"I may not know whether you are my insecurities or my anger or anything like that or if you are just a bacteria with its own mind somehow but I know that you are insecure. That is why you have to make such grand spectacles all the time and probably also why you are so obsess with Abby, cause you know that no matter what you'll do you will never be a real person. You are just a tiny, insignificant microbe. Even lowlier than me."

Kid Rot lit up with rotting energy and gave out a raging roar. He came at Chester with incredible speed. The next second Chester felt numbness and fell backwards. He hit the floor harsh, his clothes where in in shreds and parts of his skin (most notable around his arms and chest) where darkened.

Kid Rot bent down over his mangled body. He gripped Chester's throat. "DO NOT MOCK ME!" He then lifted Chester high up into the air and started punching in his face.

"Do," punch, "not," punch, "mock," punch, "me!" Punch.

Chester's face was a complete mess. His nose was broken and pressed in. Several of his teeth were missing and two big swellings had formed, one on his cheek and one above his eyebrow. Blood was running from both his nose and his mouth.

"You have no idea of the kind of pain I can cause you. You haven't seen me do my worst yet." Kid Rot threaten.

Strangely, Chester smiled. The muscles in his face hurt when he did it but he did it anyway. "The Grossologists will destroy you."

"They can't, not without destroying you too." Kid Rot argued.

Now Chester smirked wickedly, the way that Kid Rot usually smirked. "You know what? If it comes to that, it would be worth it if just to see you die as well."

* * *

Meanwhile, in the gaglab.

The Archer siblings waited patiently for LabRat to return from his workshop. Abby leaned back against a desk with a strained sneer on her lips. Ty sat on an office chair looking a bit nervous. He didn't dare say anything in case his stressed out sister would snap at him.

Finally, LabRat came back to them and to Ty's relief, he was grinning. He also seemed to hide his hands behind his back. "Okay, I think I have the solution." LabRat proclaimed. "Tell me, how does one normally prevent rot?"

"No one can prevent rot! That was the premise of Chester's experiment in the first place!" Abby snapped at the scientist.

None of her teammates blamed her for being so irritated. Not just was her boyfriend possessed by Kid Rot again but they had done little since they came back than argue over the problem. LabRat had insisted he could create another anti-dote for Chester but Ty argued they should find a more long term solution and so on and so on. Sensing the girl's bitterness, Hermes stroked his head against her hand. Abby smiled a little and petted the rodent.

Despite Abby snapping at him, LabRat's grin hadn't faded. "Maybe I should rephrase the question. How does one normally _slow down _the rotting process?"

"By freezing it down." Ty answered proudly. "Cold temperatures slows down the chemical reactions of enzymes and kills off damaging lifeforms such as bacteria and fungus."

LabRat brought his arms forward, holding a blue blaster in each hand. "These are the first Grossologist Freeze Guns. You aim them at a target, pull the trigger and they will coat the target with my special cooling fluid." To make his point, LabRat fired one of the freeze guns at a chair. The chair was soon covered in white glistening frost. LabRat then tossed the guns to Ty &amp; Abby.

Abby blinked a bit puzzled after receiving the gun. "This is not a solution LabRat. Freezing Chester won't cure him and it can seriously hurt his body."

"It won't hurt him, at least not permanently." LabRat reassured her. "It will just weaken him enough so we can take him back here. Once we have the situation under control we can work on curing him once &amp; for all."

Abby managed to smile a little. "Thanks LabRat."

"Now we just have to find Chester." Ty stated.

The Director appeared on one of the screens. "Grossologists! Reports are coming in that Kid Rot is building something in the park. Not the one he already destroyed, the smaller one, Witchgrass Park. Sources also tells us that Basso Profondo is with him."

Ty raised an eyebrow. "Dad's former idol, the opera singer? Why would he be a part of this?"

"I don't know. You agents has to stop them as soon as possible!" The Director exclaimed shrilling before turning off the screen.

"Seems like your confrontation with Kid Rot will be sooner than expected." LabRat stated.

Ty raised his index into the air. "To the Ty-Mobile!"

* * *

The Ty-Mobile flew over the city with its insect inspired wings and its namesake in the pilot seat. Abby sat in the seat behind him.

Ty tilted his head back a bit. "Are you okay back there Abby?"

"I'm just fine, Ty." She replied.

"I was just thinking on what happened last time."

"I know, I messed up. I let Kid Rot get into my head." Abby said regretfully.

"I don't blame you. If Naomi was in the same situation as Chester I would probably be dealing with it much worse than you do but you have to stay focused on the goal Abby, both for the city's sake and for Chester." Ty instructed.

"Don't worry," Abby stroked the barrel of the freeze gun in her lap, "my focus is razor sharp."

* * *

Meanwhile, in Witchgrass Park.

Basso Profondo and Kid Rot continued working. Well, Basso was working. Kid Rot was busy being lazy and chatty. "You know what would be a cool name for our band, Basso? _The Gangrene." _

The bloated man took a pause from working on the machinery. He swiped off some sweat from his forehead. That was when his eyes caught the sight of the Ty-Mobile. "Kid, there is some sort of aircraft flying above us." Basso exclaimed and pointed at the sky.

Kid Rot glanced up at the sky. "Yeah, it seems like the Grossologists are here. Do not worry Basso. You just make sure you are ready when the time comes. I'll deal with the grossologists."

The Ty-Mobile landed on the ground and Ty &amp; Abby jumped out with their Freeze Guns at hand. They were ready for a fight but their stern expressions gave way to mortified gasps once they saw what Kid Rot had built. Towering in front of them was a huge song stage made out of soil, decayed plant matter and human bodies.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**I know what you all are thinking. Isn't this like the third time I've changed Kid Rot's reason for being so obsessed with Abby? I honestly don't even think he knows the reasons. Logically, he should hate her since she tried to destroy him but logic and love o so rarely blend. **

**We got to know a lot more about Chester's background in this chapter. I hope his bullies didn't come off as too one-dimensional. I always hate it in stories where they never give reasons for people's retched behavior (unless it's played for laughs, than its okay). The problem here is of course that everything is from Chester's point of view so it's hard to flesh out characters with such a narrow perspective.**

**I also know that stinging nettle is not as common in America as in it is here in Europe. I could have used poison ivy instead but that actually takes minutes to itch after contact so nettle just seemed more nefarious. Speaking of plants, Witchgrass is actually a real type of grass. I just thought it was a cool name.**

**It might **_**(might)**_** be a while till I upload the next chapter. Reason being, that when first started writing this story I hadn't everything planned out and we have right now come to a crossroad in our story. There is literally hundred different ways this story can go from here and I need time to figure out which path to take. Which way is the most entertaining, feels the most natural, allows for the best character development and supports the point I try to make with this story.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter and I also hope you leave a review. **


	22. Battle of the Bands

**Chapter 22: Battle of the Bands**

The Archer siblings stared up in horror at the music stage, Kid Rot's monument to death and decay. Abby's eyes took a while to adjust to the sight, due to the horrid nature of the construction and the swamp gases that befogged the park but once they did, she spotted the slender figure of Kid Rot standing next to the bloated figure of Basso Profondo. Her brows furrowed.

She leaned in to her brother. _"Kid Rot is gonna focus on me. When he does, you bypass him and take care of Basso Profondo." _

Ty was startled. _"What? Isn't it incredible dangerous for you to face Kid all by yourself?"_

"_Whatever Kid Rot's plan is, Basso must be important to it." _Abby whispered.

Kid Rot readied himself, loading himself like a spring before jumping far up into the air. He landed right in front of the Grossologists, showing a toothy grin. "Abby, it makes my rotten heart good to see that you have finally come to your senses."

"For once you are right Kid, I have come to my senses. I understand now that you are a liar. You are not Chester! You don't have his soul, only his body." Abby said and aimed her freeze gun Kid Rot. Ty followed his sister's example and took aim as well.

"What are those ridiculous thi-

Kid Rot's sentence was cut short when Abby and Ty fired on him. He felt numbness before he felt the freezing cold. His host's body felt heavy and the inside of his throat felt like it had been cut several times. His sight was also diminished by the freezing fog. The first thing he saw was Abby rushing towards him. She jammed her elbow into his chest, making him stumble backwards. Kid Rot managed to keep his balance but Abby spun a kick to his side, sending him to the ground.

"You should have learned by now that we Grossologists always has a new trick up our sleeves." Abby said and fired her Freeze gun again at the groveling parasite. She was actually going rather easy on him by setting her weapon to medium. She didn't wanna hurt Chester's body any more than she had too.

Kid Rot on the other hand started fearing for his life. He had felt cold before but never anything like this. He could usually warm himself with excess heat from the rot. _'Must hide, must hide'. _He thought when he remembered something. The ground around him was rotten and still warm. He grinned as he disappeared into the ground.

Abby turned off her freeze gun. She scowled darkly and walked across the cold fog as it was evaporating. She had a very good suspicion were her opponent had gone. "KID, COME OUT AND FACE ME!" She shouted but there was no Kid Rot in sight. "THIS PROVES THAT YOU ARE NOT CHESTER! EVEN HE WOULD HAVE THE GUT TO FACE ME HEAD ON!"

That was when the earth started quaking. The dirt turned rancid and then swamp gas erupted like geysers out of the ground. Starting to feel scared, Abby took a few steps backwards. Kid Rot suddenly materialized behind her. His eyes radiated a reddish glow. Abby barely managed to turn around before Kid Rot punched her in the face. Abby's sight was a blur as she stumbled backwards and her other senses were dulled by a spike of pain. Despite that, she kept her balance but it would not be for long. Kid Rot took a hold of the barrel of her freeze gun before kicking her right in her gut, making her loose the grip of her freeze gun and crash to the ground.

Kid Rot gave the weapon in his hand a distasteful glare. He huffed annoyed before half-hazily tossing it behind him. The weapon landed barrel first in the soil. Kid Rot raised a fist and ignited it with rot-energy. The freeze gun was soon absorbed into the ground. He then walked up to Abby.

Tired and in a lot of pain, the redhead was getting up on her hands and knees. She let out a sharp gasp when she saw Kid Rot's menacing figure tower over her.

"I told you once, I told you a thousand times, Abby." Kid Rot raised his hands and ignited them with dark energy. "NEVER COMPARE ME TO CHESTER!" He fired an explosive rot-blast at Abby. The Grossologist managed to leap out of the way in the last possible second.

* * *

"Leave Abby alone." Chester threaten, still inside his own subconscious. He bowled a fist and punched Kid Rot right in the face but the fist just went thru it like as if the parasite was made out of air.

Kid Rot smiled pitiful. "You really thought that would work?" He kneeled Chester in the gut and as Chester clutched his belly Kid Rot kicked him to the ground. "You are like a dumb animal Chester. You fight even when you know you can't win."

Chester grunted as he got up on his knees. He hated to admit it but Kid Rot was right. He couldn't fight Kid Rot but he had to do something to help Abby. _'Come on Chester, you are supposed to be a super genius. If you want to help Abby you must think out a way. Come on Chester, use your brain. BRAIN!" _Chester started to lay the puzzle pieces together. _'I was temporarily in control of my body which means my brains haven't been completely corrupted. I can use it just like Kid Rot uses it. _He glared a bit at Kid Rot who was too occupied with his battle to pay him any attention. _I might not know how to take back control but I know somethings about how Kid Rot controls me.' _

Smirking at his new idea, Chester crawled to work.

* * *

Meanwhile another boy genius was thwarting Kid Rot's plan in his own way. Ty was on the backside of the singing stage, pulling out the cords of the loudspeakers. The last pair he found was bolted to their ports. Ty bit his lip before trying to unlock the bolts.

Suddenly, a large, meaty arm wrapped around Ty's neck and lifted him off the ground. "You have no business being here." Basso Profondo's breath stank of garlic and salami.

Ty turned his head a bit to look at his attacker. He thought Basso's smirking lips looked like a pair of red maggots pressed together. "I am here to lower your final curtain." Ty said even thou the suffocating arm made it hard to breathe, even less talk. He slammed a small button on his belt and his slimesuit inflated like a giant balloon, pushing him out of Basso's grip. You are not the only one filled with hot air, Basso. No wait, that one didn't sound very good." Ty said.

Basso Profondo reached into his coat and pulled out an epee. Ty stared in shock at the weapon before the opera singer cut the Grossologist's slimesuit. There was a pop-sound and then Ty laid deflated on the ground but he quickly got up. The only damage done was a gash in his suit. Ty thumbed the gash a bit. "Was that the best you can do Fatso Rotundo?" He taunted.

"Let me teach you the first rule of the opera, little man. Comedy is easy, dying is hard." Basso Profundo exclaimed before charging at Ty with his fencing sword steady in hand.

* * *

"Why are you doing all of this, Kid?" Abby asked alarmed while dodging another rot-blast. Abby was out of weapons and out of options except for one, the Ty-mobile. If she was lucky it would be equipped with some extra weapons. If anything else its metallic shell would give her protection. The problem was that Kid Rot stood between her and the vehicle. She hoped to take Kid Rot off-guard by making him talk about his plan.

"Can't it simple be because I like the attention?" Kid Rot mused.

"In that case you wouldn't have involved Basso. What is his role in his?" Abby stated.

"You are as intelligent as ever my beautiful." Kid Rot exclaimed amused before firing another blast at her. Abby dodged again before hiding behind a large hedgerow. Kid Rot's smile tugged a bit. He confidently walked up to the bushes and swept a hand over the foliage. His rotting touch spread thru the leaves and completely stripped the hedges of green.

"I guess you deserve to know what I have planned." Kid Rot said. "Those specially built loudspeakers along with Basso's supersonic voice will create soundwaves so powerful they'll spread thru out this crappy city. What the old geezer doesn't know is that I have treated the speakers with my own spores. My spores will travel on the soundwaves, infecting every person they come in contact with, turning them into…me. All of them will be as wonderfully rotten and powerful as me but they will all be in my control." Kid Rot paused to laugh maniacally. "You know in a way I am fulfilling Chester's dream. He will never be alone again because everyone will be just like him." Kid Rot decomposed what was left of the hedges but to his surprise Abby wasn't there. "What? Where did she go?" He then heard panting breathes behind him. He turned around and saw Abby running as fast as she could towards the Ty-Mobile.

Abby ran as fast as her tiered body could. The Ty-Mobile came closer and closer in sight with each sprint. Suddenly, Kid Rot materialized in front of her, sparking with dark energy. Abby came to a sudden halt.

"Trying to escape? You have lost your fighting spirit my dear." Kid Rot mused. Then his rot-energy exploded outwards like a massive shockwave. Abby was blown back, her slimesuit was ripped to shreds and she landed in a messy heap on the ground. When she opened her eyes her sight was blurry. Her body was numb and her mind was dizzy yet behind her incapability of understanding her surrounding her thoughts were tormenting.

'_I failed him, I failed Chester. I will never see him again and I didn't even get to tell him that I love him. Chester, my brother, my city, all will fall to Kid Rot because I failed.' _

Kid Rot grabbed her by her neck and lifted her up so he could look her in the eyes. Tears was forming in their corners and her face seem to be shaking. To Kid Rot it was amusing to see such a strong person breaking down. "Do not worry dear. You won't suffer the same fate as the rest of this city." He hazily tossed her to the ground. "You will be the last person on the planet with a will of her own but sadly you won't have much freedom. I will keep you as my own personal concubine and you will see the entire world die before slowly dying yourself. Of course first I need to make a few alterations." He grabbed one of Abby's ankles and lifted up her foot. "I can't have you keep fighting me if you are to be mine, now can I? Say goodbye to your leg muscles sweetheart."

Kid Rot raised his other hand and ignited it with dark energy. Abby's eyes widen in horror. Just as he was about to strike down on Abby's leg the dark energy in his hand suddenly died out, like a fire in the rain.

"What?" Kid Rot exclaimed dumbfounded. He tried to ignite it again. The dark energy sparked for a second but did not ignite. Third time he tried it didn't there was no reaction at all. Abby took the opportunity to jerk her leg loose from Kid Rot's grip.

* * *

Inside Chester's head the Kid Rot avatar was getting worried. "What is this? Why can't I use my powers?" He lamented out load. His expression was manic and his fingers curled like talons. "It's like someone has cut out my juice." Then he had a revelation. "Chester!" The parasite bowled his fists and scowled before disappearing thru the ground.

* * *

It didn't take long for Kid Rot to find Chester. He was sitting in a clearing surrounded by memories. They were happy memories of him spending time with Abby. Others weren't even memories but imaginations but they too were with Abby. Chester himself was sitting next to a girl with long bronze red hair. She couldn't be Abby, could she?

"What the hell is all of this?" Kid Rot gestured to all the memories. "And who is she?" He gestured to the girl by Chester's side.

"Oh, she is Abby. She is of course not the real Abby, she is my imaginary Abby but she is just as cute as the real one." Chester explained. Imaginary Abby blushed and kissed his cheek. "As for what the rest of this is. This is how I'll beat you Kid. I figured that since you draw your power from negative emotions I'll cut you out at the source. I'll face out all my negative emotions and just focus on the things in life that makes me happy."

Kid Rot grit his teeth. "YOU REALLY THINK YOU WILL DEFEAT ME BY THINKING HAPPY THOUGHTS!"

"I think it will help the Grossologists to defeat you." Chester replied. Imaginary Abby stuck out her tong at Kid Rot.

Kid Rot grind his teeth, bowled his fist to the point that his nails dented his skin and his body was shaking in anger. He let out a deafening scream as he fired blasts of rot-energy in all directions, shattering Chester's dreams. The enraged parasite then launched at the blonde boy, pinning him to the ground. "You think you can just turn your back on me?"

Chester tried to struggle free. Energy left Chester's body and was sucked into the body of the parasite. Kid Rot chuckled sinisterly. "You can't ignore me. Hate, sadness, regret. Those things are as big a part of you as I am."

"No, no, no." Chester tried to stay strong but the parasite's influence was overwhelming him. Bombarding his mind with the worst kind of feelings.

* * *

Abby couldn't make heads or tails of what she was seeing. Her boyfriend's appearance shifted from Kid Rot to Chester and then back to Kid Rot and on and on it changed. Like a malfunctioning hologram. "Chester!" She called out to him.

"Abby…" Chester tried to reach out to her but it was hard to speak.

"…I'll rot you!" Kid Rot growled.

"Abby," Chester came back again. "Do what you have to do, NOW!" Kid Rot took over again but Chester was quickly back again and the possessed teen tumbled to the ground. He twerked and rattled like he was having a seizure.

Abby once again started running towards the Ty-Mobile but then she stopped when she came on better thoughts. She spied the area until her eyes landed on a crop of dirt. It was there her Freeze Gun laid buried.

She ran towards it as fast as she could before practically skidding on her knees to the pile of dirt. Her fingers dug into the warm soil and she started digging with her bare hands.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ty was avoiding Basso's every sword strike. Basso Profondo was rather fast despite being so big and old but it was nothing against young Ty's athleticism.

"Can I ask you a question Fatto of the Opera?" Ty teased and ducked from another swipe of the epee. "Is most of all that air in your stomach or in your head? I have always wondered."

Basso grit his teeth, getting even angrier. "Do not mock me!" as his temper got hotter his strikes became more and more random.

As Ty continued to avoid the blade he noticed how unfocused Basso was becoming. "Sorry, I mock, I'm a mocker. It's just what I do." Basso swiped again, from left to right but Ty dropped into a crouching stance, avoiding the blade before kicking Basso's hand, sending his sword into the air. The Grossologist stood up and smirked. "What are you gonna do now, gas ball?"

Basso Profondo readied himself before letting out a hypersonic burp. Ty was caught in the soundwave and was thrown backwards. He hit the back of his head against one of the loudspeakers. He sighed in pain as he tried to stand up. He rubbed his sore spot. "Owe. I forgot he could do that." He looked at the loudspeakers and it gave him an idea. He smirked mischievously at the former opera singer. "Hey Basso! You're the only c-list villain I ever meet with triple-XL underpants."

"I will teach you respect, you little brat." Basso exclaimed furious. He had had enough of Ty's mocking. He sucked in as much as air as he could as he leaned back his head before snapping his head forward and letting out a hypersonic belch. This time thou, Ty was prepared. He jumped out of the way just in time and the soundwaves hit the loudspeakers.

*BOOM*

The electronic devices exploded. The lights of the explosions were soon clouded by dark smoke. The large opera singer coughed. Once he opened his bloodshot eyes he saw an orange clad Grossologist speedily running up to him. Ty leaped and drove his knee right into Basso's gut. It knocked all the air out of the old man and with a laud burp he was sent flying backwards. He landed on his back, panting like a stranded fish. Ty jumped into the air before landing on Basso's stomach. The last of the opera singer's access gases escaped his throat with a gasp. He was now back to his normal skinny form. Basso Profondo fainted.

"I thought you knew that operas never ends happily, Basso." Ty joked.

* * *

Finally, Abby could spot her Freeze Gun. She dug her hands into the soft soil and pulled it loss. She curled a finger around the trigger before turning around and aimed it at Kid Rot that was still struggling for Chester's body on the ground. Abby squeezed the trigger but nothing happened. "What?" Abby turned the weapon around and looked into the barrel. It was clogged with dirt. "Aw, man."

Kid Rot kept twisting and writhing in the dirt. Chester's conscience had never fought him like this before. His sight was blurry and his head was aching. "That. Is. It!" Kid Rot fired a blast of rot-energy at Abby but his aim was off thanks to Chester's interruption. Abby managed to throw herself out of the way.

"Stop it Chester. You know you can't defeat me."

"I. Can. Try." Chester responded.

Kid Rot stood up and started advancing towards Abby. His steps were slow and gangly, almost like a zombie. The parasite stumbled to the ground. He sighed tiered as he got up on his legs again.

Starting to panic, the Grossologist shoved her hand into the gun barrel and started to cavern out all the dirt. She was sweating and her teeth were grinding from stress. Her enemy was approaching and she was running out of time.

"You should have taken my offer Abby." Kid Rot stated as he staggered towards her. "Instead you will die and rot with the rest of this town." With a ravaged growl he leapt at her.

Abby got out the last of the dirt in her barrel, quickly directed it at the parasite and fired. A blast of white hit Kid Rot right in the chest as he was less than a meter away from her. Kid Rot gave off a shriek as he hit the ground. Abby got up on her feet and backed away a bit but kept firing her freeze gun at Kid. The problem thou was that without Ty backing her up the freeze gun was not as effective.

"No, I shall not lose this body again." Kid Rot growled. Using his rot-powers, he heated up the surrounding air. He stood up and started to combat the blast from Abby's gun with his powers. "We really are made for each other. You are icing cold babe and I, I'm smoking hot." Kid Rot smirked.

He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his back and gave out an ice curdling scream. When he fell onto his knees Abby could see the cause of his turmoil and it made her smile. "Ty!"

United, the Archer siblings kept on bombarding their enemy with LabRat's cooling fluid as Chester's body curled up into a ball on the ground.

* * *

Inside Chester's mind, both Chester and Kid Rot had stopped fighting. Both stood opposing one another, shuttering and trying to keep warm by wrapping their arms around their chests.

"We s-seem to have a-a bra-brain freeze." Chester tried to joke and laughed sadly.

Kid Rot frowned. "You know, this is only a temporary set-back. You haven't gotten rid of me yet."

Ice started forming at the base of Kid Rot's shoes. The Ice then started growing upwards over his body. Encapsulating his legs, then his body, arms and throat before completely incasing him in ice.

Chester sighed and depressingly lowered his head. "I know."

* * *

Back in the real world.

Abby stopped firing her freeze gun. "Ty! Ty stop!"

Ty reluctantly followed his sister's orders and took his finger off the trigger. Once the white fog cleared they saw Chester, curled up into a ball to keep warm. He was shaking and his polyester clothes were covered in frost.

"Chester, is that you?" Abby asked concerned.

The boy opened his eyes, looking at her. He nodded.

"Oh, thank god." Abby sighed in relief. "Ty, go get the Ty-Mobile over here." Ty didn't argue but simple ran to the vehicle.

"Abb-by, I'm so sorry this happened." Chester said.

Abby got down on her knees in front of him. "No Chester, this wasn't your fault. We should all have been more thorough with your health."

"It was the scar. He was hiding in my scar." Chester said. Abby didn't know what he was talking about. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a long hug. The Ty-Mobile walked up to them with its mechanical insect-legs. If Chester wasn't in such a poor state he might have commented on how cool it looked. Ty opened the cockpit seal. Abby curled one arm under her boyfriend's knees and another one under his back and lifted him up. A lot of her slimesuit had been shredded, showing her navel and a lot of her legs. She could feel just how cold Chester was. The redhead took her boyfriend to the Ty-Mobile.

"The Ty-Mobile has no storage room and only two seats. How is he-

Abby sat down and placed Chester in her lap.

"Ow, like that." Ty said. Abby gave her brother a death stare which caused him to turn back to the controllers. The last thing she wanted to hear right now was some sibling teasing about having her boyfriend in her lap.

The cockpit seal closed, the Ty-Mobile's insect inspired wings started flapping and it took off. Flying into the air, towards the gaglab.

Chester nuzzled into the croak of Abby's neck. He did not know if it was her closeness he craved or her body heat, he did it instinctively. He studied her facial features. For most people Abby's frown and narrowed eyes would be an indication that she was mad but Chester knew her better. That was the face she made when she was worried or in deep contemplation. He also saw how swollen and red her left cheek was. It was where Kid Rot had punched her.

He reached for it and ever so gently stroked her bruise with his fingertips. "Are you hurt?"

Abby looked down at him and forced a smile. "No sweetie. I am okay." She kissed him softly on the lips. Even they were cold. "Are you alright?"

"For now I am. Now when I am with you."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Okay, so why did it take me so long to write this particular chapter?  
Well, every time I write a new chapter for this story I feel as if I am closing the doors of thousands of opportunities. In this case I had to decide whether or not I should scrap a certain plotline or not. In the end I decided to scrap it.**

**The plotline was that Chester's secret identity as Kid Rot would be revealed by the media (the reporters must be doing something when all of this happens) causing a lot of the town's people to hate him. One scene would even have an angry mob chase Chester and Abby. I decided to scrap this part of the story because I felt its conclusion would be a bit too…cheesy. Maybe. **

**Another thing I changed was that originally Kid Rot was actually gonna get away in this chapter and Ty &amp; Abby would interrogate Basso for Kid Rot's whereabouts. They would then find Kid Rot in a farm and then Abby would manage to trap him in a freeze room. I scrapped this just to spare time. **

**Now, even thou these parts have been cut out I have still decided to write them later. The "Chester's secret revealed-plot" will be done in a separate **_**What if? **_**Story. Then you guys can decide which version this is better.  
Also, I might write the scene where Abby interrogates Basso Profondo as a sort-off **_**deleted scene **_**kind of thing. **

**So, about this chapter. I know that a lot of you expected some sort of resolution to the Kid Rot vs Chester conflict (some of you rooting for Chester to **_**Kick his ass**_**) but I am not really one for simple solutions. Don't worry, the battle over Chester's body is not over yet. **

**I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter and I hope you all review it. **


	23. The Night in Splatticus Prison

**Chapter 23: The Night in Splatticus Prison**

The Ty-Mobile touched down on the Gaglab's landing platform. LabRat was already there, waiting. A suspenseful scowl graced his face. The Ty-Mobile's doors opened up.

Abby was still cradling Chester in her lap. "Do you think you're good enough to walk now?" She asked softly.

Chester nodded. "I think so."

Ty was first out of the vehicle. Chester carefully stretched a leg out of the cockpit. He placed his foot on the floor but once he pushed himself off Abby's lap he felt a jolt of pain in his leg. Cramp. Ty quickly got a hold of Chester and leaned him against the Ty-Mobile so he wouldn't fall. "Don't worry, I got you buddy."

Worried, Abby got out of the Ty-Mobile. She got under Chester's left arm to support his weight while her brother got under his right.

"_It's okay, it's just a cramp." _Chester mumbled.

Nonetheless, the Archer siblings started leading him to the gaglab but LabRat ran up to them first. "It's okay, I got him." He told Abby as he replaced her under Chester's left arm. "You can go and put on some new clothes."

Abby looked down on her shredded slimesuit. "I'll be right back." She said and ran off. Chester moaned in discontent. He didn't want her leave him, even for a minute but he couldn't speak right out for some reason. Maybe because he was still freezing or maybe he was too ashamed to reveal that he was so desperate.

Ty and LabRat got Chester to sit down on a table. "Okay Chester, I am gonna treat you with a new anti-dote." LabRat exclaimed. He quickly placed a jar with a leather cover, a needle and a roll of bandage on the table.

"An anti-dote? You mean as in permanently curing me?" Chester asked, carefully optimistic.

"Sadly not." LabRat replied regretfully as he siphoned the antidote from the jar into the needle. "The Kid Rot bacteria will most likely adapt and build up an immunity to it but at the very least take the edge of it." LabRat grabbed Chester's arm and pulled up his sleeve. He held the needle to Chester's still cold skin. "This might hurt a little." LabRat vented. His needle punctured Chester skin and injected the antidote. Chester winced a bit but really it didn't hurt that much. LabRat then wrapped the bandage over the puncture wound.

Abby came back, now dressed in an undamaged yellow slimesuit. She was also carrying a white blanket. "I found this in storage. It might help." She walked over to Chester and draped the white blanket over his shoulders. She then sat down next to him and started rubbing his back and shoulders, trying to warm him.

Chester smiled at her. "Thank you." He then turned to LabRat and Ty. "Thank you to." Abby smiled back at him while the boys nodded to him. She kissed his temple and lovingly enveloped him in a hug.

The Director appeared on a large screen. "GROSSOLOGISTS! I demand a status report." Somehow he managed to sound more alarmed than usual.

Ty walked up to the monitor. Abby was about to do the same but Chester instinctively grasped her hand, making her stay. He wasn't even thinking when he did it. He just wanted her close.

Ty cleared his throat. "Chester have been secured and is under treatment sir."

The Directors scowl deepened. "Has he been cured yet?"

This time it was LabRat that answered. "No but Kid Rot has been temporarily subdued. Chester is completely harmless."

"Temporarily? For how long?" The Director asked terrified.

LabRat looked to Chester and Abby before turning back to his superior. "A few hours…maybe."

"MAYBE!" The Director shrieked. "That's it. There is no more room for carelessness. I have already called for a Physician to help you find a cure to this Kid Rot problem." The swooshing sound of the doors opening was heard. "Ah, that must be her right now." The Director smiled pleased. Instead of a doctor thou it was The Detective that entered the gaglab. The Director's smile faltered. "Oh, it's just you. Coming with more bad news I suppose."

"Unfortunately you're right." The burly detective replied. "It is chaos out there. The entire city is in a state of panic. People are demanding to know what happened to all their dead and missing."

His words hit Chester like a lighting strike. "Dead?" He spoke up, looking at The Detective with large scared eyes. He felt a terrible pain in his stomach, as if he had swallowed molted led and it was now hardening to a solid lump in his gut. Everyone else in the room had fallen silent. "How-how many?" Chester asked. Even as he asked that he could feel the bile running up his throat.

Abby got concerned. If her boyfriend found out about all of Kid Rot's victims right now he might be shocked. The last thing Chester needed right now was more guilt. "Chester, I don't think-

"HOW MANY!" Chester demanded, dismissing Abby's approach.

The Detective bit his lip as he pondered over whether or not he should tell Chester right away. He figured that the boy had the right to know what had happened and he would certainly find out sooner or later anyway. "Right now we are counting thirty-four dead but the rot makes it hard to identify the bodies. We also have at least fifteen injured with gangrene and inhaling sickness."

'_Thirty-four.' _The number drummed inside Chester's head. _'Thirty-four, thirty-four, thirty-four, thirty-four, thirty-four.'_

Chester's body suddenly jerked fourth and he puked. The throw up was a powerful spatter of watery yellowish green. Chester fell off the table and landed on his hands and knees in the chowder he just made. His brown eyes stared absently at the throw-up as it ran along his fingers. The reality of the situation overwhelmed him. He thought of all those dead. More than thirty-four dead. All those lives, young and old had all been cut down. And all those dead's loved ones. How many lives had he destroyed just cause a couple of years ago he had fumbled with some chemicals? How could he live with the knowledge? How could he carry the guilt?

He mumbled two words. _'Kill me.'_

Abby bent down a bit. "What did you say?"

"**KILL ME!" **Chester's scream echoed thru the gaglab, giving it an almost metallic tone. Chester felt numb, like his scream had shocked him. Then he could feel Abby's soft hands caressing his shoulders.

She squatted down to his level. "I won't let you die Chester. You still has me and so much more to live for." Abby spoke softly and considerate.

Almost sporadically, Chester wrapped his arms around her. Abby hugged him back. She helped him onto his feet and Chester sat back down on the table. Abby placed a light kiss on his tearstained cheek.

Once everyone could feel the tension in the room evaporating did the Detective speak. "So where can we place Chester until we know that he is um…stable?"

"Normally we put our enemies in Splatticus once we caught them." Ty said.

"We won't do that to Chester right? I mean he isn't a supervillain like the rest of them." Abby exclaimed worried.

Once again everyone was silent for a while.

"Would it-would it help?" Everyone was surprised that it was Chester that asked.

"In theory it would be ideal." LabRat admitted somewhat reluctantly. Abby frowned, already disliked where this were going. "The cells on Splatticus prison is made out of steel and acrylate, nothing organic and the staff is used to dealing with unusual situations." LabRat said.

"What about Kid Rot's super strength and ghosting abilities? Can the prison compensate for that as well?" Chester asked.

"No," LabRat worryingly scratched his neck, "but I do have some ideas on how it could but it involves-

"No, don't tell me." Chester interrupted, raising a hand. "If you tell me your plans then Kid Rot might hear them as well and then he might be able to figure out some sort of counter measure."

LabRat nodded. "Understood."

"Then it's settled." The Director exclaimed. "Labrat, you head for Splatticus Prison right now to make the preparations. The rest of us will stay here to make sure that Chester doesn't," He caught into his fist, "rot out."

LabRat, along with Hermes on his shoulder left the lab.

"I have a bad feeling about this?" Abby stated, arms crossed over her chest.

"Why?" Ty asked.

Abby started listing on her fingers. "Insectiva, Arachnidia, Lance Boil. Do I need to go on? All the bad guys we have ever fought are there. What do you think they will do to Chester?" She argued frustrated.

"Isn't he a villain too?" The Director said but the others decided to ignore him.

"It would only be for a night or so and he would be kept away from the inmates." Ty stated.

"As long as it stops Kid Rot from harming more people I am all for it." Chester said.

Abby raised a critical eyebrow at her boyfriend. _'I hope he isn't trying to find a way to get himself killed.' _She thought.

At that moment the doors opened and a tall woman with short red-brown hair, wearing a lab-coat stepped into the lab. Her face was near emotionless.

The Director smiled pleasantly. "Ah, you must be the Physician I called for."

"I prefer the term Cell Therapist." She said and a small smile played on her lips. "I am Sylvia." She shacked hands with both Abby and Ty before walking up to Chester. "You must be Chester. It is an honor to meet you and I'm not just saying that because of your unique condition. I have read a lot about your theories on reversing the rotting process. Very impressive."

Chester managed to smile a little. "Nice meeting you too." Sylvia offered him a hand to shake. Chester reached out shake her hand but he then withdrew it. He nervously scratched the back of his hand a bit.

Sylvia blinked puzzled before putting down her hand. She decided not to think about it. "Okay, let's not waste any time. I will need skin samples, blood samples, stomach samples and saliva samples from Chester as well as samples from objects affected by his rot powers." Sylvia exclaimed.

"That is a lot of samples." The Director commented.

"Me and LabRat will keep going all night figuring out a way to separate Chester and Kid Rot." Sylvia said.

It took around an hour for Sylvia to take all the samples she wanted. It wasn't exactly a normal medical procedure. Dividing what was Chester and what was Kid Rot was nearly impossible. Kid Rot's DNA was apparently just as contaminating as himself.

"So, is everything done?" The Director asked thru the screen. No way he was gonna be in the same room as Kid Rot.

"Yes, I think I am done." Sylvia replied.

"Good, your transport vehicle is already outside."

Ty got curious. "What kind of vehicle?"

* * *

Once outdoor Abby, Ty, Sylvia and Chester saw an armored truck accompanied with a dozen SWAT soldiers, all armed with smoke grenades and tranquilizers.

"Isn't this a little too much?" Sylvia asked.

"If they know who they are dealing with than no, not at all." Chester stated, brooding.

* * *

Splatticus Prison, a concrete building on the outside of the city. The building itself had mounted that high hill since the founding of the city but it wasn't until the 40s that Doctor Benjamin Splatticus decided to turn it into a mental hospital for his patients. He would ultimately go insane himself. He died drowning in his own blood after chewing off his tong. As the decades past the mental ward had become an asylum and finally a prison. One that did not just try to rehabilitate its inmates psychologically but also genetically. No other place in Ringworm inspired as much fear and superstition.

Ty, Abby &amp; Chester met up with LabRat inside the building. "All preparations are ready for any Kid Rot messiness." The shut-in stated with his rodent perched atop his shoulder. "You sure you still want to do this?"

Abby placed a comforting hand on Chester's shoulder. Her eyes looked pleading. _'Say no. We can find some other way.' _Abby thought but really she had no other ideas.

Chester nodded. "Yes, it will be for the best."

LabRat walked up to a hand-recognition scanner by a large set of doors. "Well, you'll be the first person to be crazy enough to stay here by his own free volition." LabRat joked and placed a hand on the scanner.

Chester rolled his eyes. _'What volition?' _He thought cynically. The doors opened and the teenagers stepped into Splatticus's cell block.

There was rows upon rows of cells but unlike the cells of most prisons there were no bars on these. Instead there was windows of almost unbreakable acrylate, giving everyone a clear view of the prisoners inside. Thru out the cellblock they could hear the echo of Mr. Fowler's voice as he sang.

"_Sing a song of Sixpence, a pocket full of rye.  
Four &amp; twenty blackbirds, baked in a pie."_

The first cell they passed was Insectiva's. The deranged entomologist sat on a chair with a blanket wrapped around her. A fly circled inside her cell before finally landing on her knee. Her eyes followed the teenagers' movements as they tracked on.

"_When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,  
wasn't that a dainty dish to set before a king."_

The next cell they passed belonged to Fartor. At first the blue skinned man seemed to float in mid-air but once Chester looked closer he saw that he was actually attached to the wall by several tubes that went to the methane breather's suit. Fartor's eyes were shut and he snored into a gasmask, a sound that seemed partly human and partly mechanical.

"_The king was in his counting house,  
Counting out his money.  
The Queen was in the parlor,  
Eating bread and honey."_

They then passed by the cell of Arachnidia, Insectiva's twin sister. Arachnidia had ripped apart her bed sheets and was now tying the treads together into a spiderlike web that stretched across her room. She hardly noticed the teens as they passed her by.

"_The maid was in the garden, hanging out the clothes  
when down came a blackbird and pecked out her nose."_

They then passed the singer himself, Mr. Fowler. The frail old man perched atop swing bar, making him look even more like an owl. He stopped singing for a second to stare at Hermes with his large predatory eyes. Almost like he consider eating the rat. Hermes got scared and quickly hide in LabRat's shirt pocket, shaking like a leaf. Once the teenagers and their pet had past him he went back to singing.

"_They sent for the doctor who sewed it on again,  
He sewed it on neatly the seam was never seen."_

LabRat finally stopped in front of what was going to be Chester's cell. He once again used a hand-recognition scanner to open the doors. Chester, Abby and Ty stepped inside. There was nothing there but a metallic bed with white sheets. Chester was curious. How was this cell partially fitting to stop Kid Rot from escaping? He decided not to ask thou. The less he knew the better.

"The bed is made of cotton but I have ordered for non-organic bed sheets. It should arrive soon enough so incase Kid Rot poops out you would still have something to sleep in." LabRat clarified.

"Thank you." Chester nodded.

Abby looked around. On the left and right of them were thick walls of steel. The cell right across from Chester's was Darko Crevasse and it seemed like the vampire-like man was currently asleep. Of course, Darko usually slept during the day and was active during the dark hours. Abby steeped up to Chester, got as close to him as possible and cupped his shoulders.

"Promise me you'll be okay the next time I see you."

"…I promise." Chester mumbled.

"Promise!" Abby said again but more sternly. Her hands grasped his shoulders so hard it actually hurt a bit.

Chester was confused at first. _'Why is she so scared? Is it Kid Rot that scares her? Is it cause I wished for death?' _He brushed one of her hairlocks before placing his hands on her hips. "I promise." This time his words came with more sincerity.

Abby quite spontaneously kissed him. For a short second Chester seemed to ease into the kiss but then he backed away from her, almost like he was afraid of her but he wasn't. _'Kid Rot is still inside of me. I can't risk touching her. Not even for a second.' _

Abby stared at her boyfriend with large hurtful eyes. To Chester, Abby reminded him of himself in that insecure position. "I-I'm sorry," He started saying.

"No I understand, I guess this isn't the time for kisses and hugs." Abby said, faking a smile.

Chester didn't smile back. He wished this was the time. He so wanted to feel her touch right now, too feel loved but he couldn't take any risks.

The others started moving away from him. "We'll see you tomorrow, buddy." Ty said. Chester waved goodbye as his friends disappeared from his sight. He turned to face the wall as the door lowered down. A shiver went up his spine when he heard the glass wall connected to the floor.

Abby walked slowly, lost in her own dark thoughts. She had a perfect relationship with Chester. It certainly had its ups and downs but their love had been true. They hadn't even had their first real fight yet, nor ever told each other how much they loved one another and now it looked like Chester was lost to her. _'No, I can't think like that. Chester will survive, he always has. He persist even thru the hardest of times. He will, he has to make it and we will be happy together.' _Abby tried to reassure herself yet she wasn't convinced.

Even thou she hadn't noticed, both Ty &amp; LabRat had slowed their pace to walk beside her. They were both concerned for her but had no idea of what to say.

Suddenly, someone broke the silence. "Hey, Grossologists!" It was Insectiva, calling them from the nearest cell. She leaned against the glass, her bony hands pressing against the flat surface. They stopped and turned to look at her. "What is Chester doing here?" The entomologist asked curiously.

"That is none of your business, Insectiva." LabRat replied sternly. He sounded older than his age.

Insectiva smirked. "I guess he wasn't as parasite free as he thought." She laughed to herself. "That's rich."

Abby's troubled expression turned into an angry scowl. Ty noticed this and started leading her away. "Come on Abby, we have better things to do than talking to this psycho." Abby started walking away with her brother.

"Have you and Chester kissed each other yet, Abby?" Insectiva's words made Abby stopped in her tracks. Her spine stiffen like a board before she turned around. "Does it surprise you that I know that? Hmm. Believe it or not but I was a young girl too once. I know how a girl looks like when she likes someone." Insectiva exclaimed and smirked. "Besides, the way you reacted when I threaten him, beating me like a sandbag was excessive even for a hothead like you."

Abby walked right up to Insectiva's cell. She scowled so hard, wrinkles appeared by her eyes. "You will not harm him."

Insectiva raised an eyebrow, like she was saying _'Watch me.' _"LISTEN EVERYONE!" Insectiva hollered so laud her voice echoed thru out the cellblock. "THE NEW KID, HE'S KID ROT AND HE IS ABBY'S BOYFRIEND. YOU KNOW, THAT REDHEAD THAT PUT YOU ALL HERE!"

"Really?" Someone asked.

"Abby! Let me free and I won't murder him!" Another voice shouted. Soon the entire prison was a cacophony of shouts and death threats.

"I will kill you kid!"

"I'll shove an iron pipe up your ass!"

"HELP! Let me out of here! I can't be in the same jail as Kid Rot!"

"I'll kill you, I'll kill you!"

Overcome with fear for her boyfriend, Abby ran towards his cell as fast as she could. Insectiva meanwhile, crossed her arms and calmly leaned her back against the cell wall. She smiled proudly at the little wildfire she had ignited.

"I'll handle this." LabRat stated. He walked over to a megaphone, located by the exit and took it off its hinges. He held it in front of his mouth. "_LISTEN UP ALL INMATES." _He spoke into it._ "IF ANYONE TOUCHES OR THREATENS CHESTER'S SAFETY, NONE OF YOU WILL BE ALOUD TO WATCH TELEVISION BETWEEN SIX AND TEN. AM I MAKING MYSELF CLEAR?" _

Once that was said all the inmates got quiet. Some retreated deeper into their cells, others mumbled apologies. For most people, Splatticus was terrifying place that inspired nightmares but for the inmates in here the hours where long and boring. That's why everyone valued their TV privileges so much.

Meanwhile, Abby had reached Chester's cell. Her boyfriend sat on his bed, clutching his knees. He looked scared. "Chester? Chester are you okay?"

Chester opened his eyes and looked around. He noticed that the screaming had stopped. "I think so."

"That's it! You are not staying another minute in here!" Abby exclaimed and pressed her hand against the lock-scanner. The machine responded with a buzz and a red _DENIED _on the screen. "What!" Abby exclaimed, getting angry. She pressed her hand against the scanner again and was once again denied. She growled in anger. She did it again and was denied again.

Chester got off his bed and walked up to the glass wall. "Abby."

Abby didn't listen but tried kept trying to open the walls. Of course she was denied again. "LabRat, come over here!"

"ABBY! Chester shouted. This finally got Abby's attention. "It's okay, don't worry. I trust whatever modifications LabRat has done to this cell will keep me safe from both Kid Rot and all these other villains." He widen his smile a bit, trying to make Abby smile as well but Abby was still distressed. Chester tried something else. He breathed on the glass until condensation was created. He then drew a heart in the mist with his finger before writing 'Abby' in it. He tilted his head a bit and smiled goofily. Abby finally chuckled a bit.

Chester felt relieved. He carefully pressed his hand against the glass, spreading out his fingers. Abby placed her own hand in front of his, being as close to him with the wall still separating them. "Nothing will happen to me. You won't have to worry." Chester said.

Abby didn't say anything. She slowly, reluctantly let her hand slip off the glass and she left without a single word.

* * *

Later, at midnight. Most of the inmates were already at sleep and most after watching their favorite shows but not everyone was sleeping.

A prison guard named Andrew patrolled the cellblock on the second floor. He held a baton behind his back, trying to look carefree but really he hated the nightshift.

"Hello? Excuse me. Is there someone that can hear me?" A female voice cried out. Andrew walked over to the cell where the voice was coming from, he recognized the voice so he headed for her cell. The cell was as pitch black as all the others but the weird thing was that this cell had never dark, not even during night time.

"What do you want?" He asked irritated.

"My nightlight has gone out. I can't sleep." The inmate said from somewhere in the dark.

"Are you sure? Have you tried?" He asked tiered.

"I know I can't sleep. My children don't like the dark."

Andrew's eyes narrowed, his lips scowled. The inmate's eyes looked back at him with large sad eyes, begging to have her needs meet. Finally, Andrew sighed and talked into his com-radio on his chest. "Custodian, 018's cell is out of nightlight."

"The one with UV-light?" The custodian asked thru the radio.

"Yes, the UV one." Andrew responded.

"I'll be there soon." The custodian said before hanging up.

Andrew looked at the inmate again. All he could see clearly was her smirking lips and playful green eyes. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You know this place could spare a whole lot of money on electricity if you just slept with the light off."

"Maybe you could help me fall asleep…some _other_ way." She suggested teasingly.

The custodian arrived with a new UV-lightbulb. "Here I am. This should be a quick procedure."

"Good, the sooner I can lock this door again the better." Andrew stated as he opened the cell door by pressing his hand against a scanner. The glass wall went up with a _*swoosh* _and the two walked in.

Suddenly, the light turned on. "Hey, the light isn't broken at all." The custodian exclaimed. Just as he noticed that the walls and floor was covered in creeping plants said plants striked at the two men with lightning quick reflexes, enwrapping them like boa constrictors. The custodian tried to scream but the vines covered his mouth, enabling him to speak in anything more than mumbles. Andrew reached for the gun in his belt but the vines clasped hard around his arms so he couldn't move them.

With the two men tied up Sarah Senia made her exit.

* * *

The only other inmate still awake was silently crying in his bed, tucking the bedsheets close to him. He felt so terrible he just wanted to die. If there was a way for him to just shut down his heart he would.

'_34.' _The number kept repeating itself inside Chester's head. That was how many people that was dead because of him, probably many more. _'How can I possible live with myself knowing I killed so many? So many people that has lost their lives because of me and so many others has lost friends and loved ones. I should never have tried to stop world hunger. I should never have tried to be a hero. I should never have tried to make friends. I should just have accepted my lot in life. Sure, I would be unhappy and lonely but at least no one would have had to die.' _Images of Abby flashed before him. _'She is the only person that cares about me and I have given her nothing but misery.' _

He then heard a knock on the cell's glass wall. He immediately sat up and stared at the person behind the glass. It was Sarah Senia. Her red lips perked into a threatening smirk.

"Are you Kid Rot?" She asked simple.

After some hesitation, Chester nodded.

"Just wanted to be certain." Sarah Senia put some distance between herself and Chester's cell. Then, with the use of her tendrils Senia threw a seedcase at the wall. With some sort of sticky green threads it stuck to the glass. "I want you to know that this has nothing to do with your relationship with Abby." Senia said before throwing two more seedcases at the wall. "I do this because I hate you." Then, the seedcases started to crack open and brown roots slithered out like snakes out of their dens. The roots started burrowing into the wall, like maggots in a rotting carcass.

Chester felt drops of cold sweat run down his forehead as dread filled his stomach. Suddenly, death didn't seem all that glamorous.

"I have never meet you Kid Rot, I have never seen you in person before and yet you are always in my nightmares. Depriving me of my dreams and my beautiful children." Sarah Senia exclaimed with malice. Scared, Chester scurried into the inmost corner of the bed. The roots slowly yet steadily reached for him, like long sharp talons or the chill that crawled along his back whenever he was alone at night. "My lifelong ambition has been to see this world covered in tropical plants. Your existence threaten to obliterate that dream!" She chuckled a bit. "You know, I could have escaped from here earlier but then I heard you were back in town and figured, all bad guys end up here eventually so I waited here for you to arrive so can kill you before I get out."

One of the roots reached Chester's bed. It branched off into two, one branch to root itself into the mattress and the other to keep continuing towards Chester. As the distance closed between Chester and root he could see that the plant was armed with sharp barbs, the size of fishing hooks. Probably poisonous. If they punctured his skin, he would be dead for sure.

Then Chester heard to most horrifying voice he knew. Kid Rot. _"Man, this woman doesn't even know you and yet she wants to kill you. That must be some sort of record, even for you." _The parasite whispered gleefully.

The root got closer to Chester. He tried to jump off the bed but his sleeve got caught in one of the barbs. He shrieked in fear and spun around, tearing a long cut in his sleeve before falling to the floor. At least the barb hadn't scratched his skin.

"You are a threat to all living things on this planet!" Senia shouted. "How anyone can allow you to live is a puzzlement!"

"_She does have a point there." _Kid Rot whispered inside the scared boys head. Panting out of panic, Chester tried to crawl away from the rot only to be surprised by another vine coming towards him in the opposite direction. "No!" He pushed himself back only to feel the first vine pressing against his polyester jacket. He spun around, pressed his back against the wall. That was when the situation became clear to him. The roots from the seedcases where now surrounding him. There where no way he could flee without their venomous barbs stinging him now. This was it. This was how he would die. He would never see Abby again, only this monstrous green-skinned woman with hateful eyes and sinister smile.

Chester curled up into a fetal position, making himself as small as possible. "No, no, no." He started sobbing and crying. Then the sobbing became more high-pitched, turning into maniacal laughter. His irises turned red and his pupils shrunk. His skin turned gray as stone.

Kid Rot rose to his feet. "You wanted Kid Rot, Lady? You got Kid Rot!" He projected a powerful wave of dark energy from his hands which decomposed the tips of the roots. But the plant kept on moving in rhythm to its regrowth.

Sarah Senia grit her teeth as she stared down the parasite. There he was now. Her greatest fear in his full form. Kid Rot, the embodiment of putridity. Kid Rot flashed his teeth as well but it was out of glee. He would enjoy killing this hatemongering tree huger.

*BOOM!*

To everyone's astonishment a metal wall came down from the ceiling, cutting off Senia's roots and separating the two villains from each other. Kid Rot got nervous. "What is happening here?" He barked.

Then he heard a sound, like air quickly escaping a tier. Then out of the ventilation, a white fog started filling the cell. "No, not this again." Kid Rot exclaimed worried. Soon, frost formed on the walls as the air became freezing cold. Kid Rot grit his teeth (this time in anger) before sending out waves of rot energy and with it, greenhouse gases. The gases heated up his cell, making the frost melt. For a second the psychopath smiled triumphantly but that smile faded when even more cooling gas was pumped into the cell, at a much faster rate. The moister on the walls once again turned to frost.

The temperature sank, second for second. Much faster than Kid Rot could heat up the cell. He started shuddering so he wrapped his arms around his body, trying to keep warm. "I hate the cold, I hate it!" He grabbed the bedsheets off the bed, partly ripping them apart since one of Senia's roots where drilled into the furniture.

Kid Rot then sat down in a corner, wrapping the sheets around him. _'Damn you Plague Rat. As soon as I get out of this damn prison I will take over your body. Yes, I'll take over his mind and make him eat Hermes with a fork. Then, I'll kill Ty, capture Abby and make the Gaglab my new crib. Yeah. I'll do that once I've taken a little…' _His eyes started closing. _'…nap.'_

And with that he fell asleep.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Originally, this chapter was supposed to go on for much longer than this and even include another fantasy sequence but then I realized this chapter was long enough already so I decided to cut it into two. In my experience, the longer a chapter gets the harder it gets to edit (plus, now you guys get your update a bit earlier. You're welcome).  
With that said, this chapter was a lot of fun to write. Especially with all of these Grossology villains. For those that did not catch it, that scene with Insectiva &amp; the fly was supposed to be a reference to the ending of **_**Psycho**_**. Maybe I did that too subtle. I have to admit that Sarah Senia is not really one of my favorite villains. She is too much of an Ursula rip-off but I felt her presence was fitting here.  
I am bit worried that maybe Chester is regressing as a character. In previous chapters he had grown quite a bit but here he goes back into being depressed and suicidal which is a really sad development. On one hand it is understandable since he just learned what happened but on the other hand I can understand if this is disappointing for the readers. I see Chester's character development taking two steps forward, one step back in these last two chapters but that means he is still progressing (maybe just bit slower). Hopefully I get him back on track very soon.**

**Please, please review this chapter. Daddy needs his fix.  
**


	24. Last One in is a Rotten Ego

**Chapter 24: Last One in is a Rotten Ego**

The first thing Chester felt was the stinging, cold air as it was sucked into his lungs. He opened his eyes and immediately sat up. He was in the quagmire again. The swampland inside his mind, except now it was swept in winter. The trees, like the ground underneath them where covered in white snow and the murky water had turned to ice. Chester felt cold. He wrapped his arms around him to keep the warmth but he still shuddered. _'LabRat must have used the freezing gas again.' _Chester realized. _'As long as Kid hates this much as I do, I guess it is for the best but still…I wish it was just over with.'_

The wind blew up some snow into the air, causing a miner blizzard. He then saw a dark figure coming towards him. He already knew it was Kid Rot even before he saw his sinister face. "Welcome to your quagmire during winter time Chester. The snow is mostly yellow and I wouldn't recommend skating because of all the gas building up under the ice but hey, at least the popsicles growing out of your nose is for free." The parasite's playful smile then turned in a hateful scowl. "Hope you are happy Chester. We are both freezing to DEATH because of you!" He kicked some snow at Chester but the blond boy was unfazed by it. Instead he kept looking at the ground. Kid Rot tilted his head. "What? Don't you have anything to say?"

"Kid Rot, can you kill me?" Chester asked in whimpering tone.

"Really?" Kid Rot asked, his voice landing somewhere between amused and puzzled. "Why so suicidal all of a sudden. No strike that, I know it's not all of a sudden, there must be like a thousand reasons for you to kill yourself. I just wonder what exactly drove you over the edge."

Chester sniveled. "The guilt. I can't bear it."

Kid Rot chuckled. "So? I have killed people before while using your body."

"Before I could ignore it but now I know just how much harm I have caused the world. Please kill me, I am nothing but a blight to everyone." Chester cried.

Kid Rot smiled. He raised a fist that ignited with dark energy. Chester closed his crying eyes as he prepared himself to die. He missed Abby. He wanted to live happily with her but it was always an impossibility. It was better this way. An end to him would mean an end to the pain, both for Chester and the world he lived in.

"Do you think I'm dumb?"

Chester was taken by surprise when Kid Rot spoke instead of killing him. He looked up at the parasite.

"The only reason the Grossologists hasn't killed me yet is because they don't know how to do it without killing you as well. No, you will be kept alive until I find a way to get out of here." The parasite's smirk widen. "But that does not mean we can't have some fun." The energy in his hand formed and solidified into a knife. Chester had never seen Kid Rot do anything like that and was both bewildered and terrified.

Kid Rot was about to strike when suddenly, Abby jumped into the scene and punched Kid Rot so hard in the head that the parasite crashed into the snow.

"Abby!" Chester exclaimed surprised.

"Fantasy Abby." Abby clarified. She offered Chester a helping hand. "Come with me. There is someone I like you to meet." Chester took her hand and she pulled him onto his feet and the two started running. The thick snow slowed them down a lot, or maybe it just slowed down Chester as he kept struggling. More than once he slipped on some hidden ice and the whipping blizzard made it hard to see. The cold air kept biting in Chester's earlobes, fingers and toes. He wondered why Kid Rot hadn't come after them. Was it possible the cold negated him both physically and mentally? And where was fantasy Abby taking him? Last time he tried to escape this place he only ended up coming back to the same place but maybe it was different for fantasy Abby. He decided not to think about it. It felt good holding Abby's hand again even if it wasn't the real Abby. Suddenly her warm hand slipped his grip and before he knew it he was tumbling down a slope. He came to a stop on hard ground. It hurt, he must have hit some rocks on his way down.

"Abby!" He called for his friend. "Abby!" He got no answer. He tried to get up. Tiresomely trying to press himself off the ground but he was cold, and numb and he wondered why he should even try.

Then Chester saw something held out towards him. A hand. A large rough hand. Certainly not Abby's. "Need a hand, kid?" A manly voice asked. Hesitantly Chester grabbed the hand and the man rushed him onto his feet.

Chester looked up at the man who had helped him. The man flashed him a handsome grin. "Who are you?"

"I'm you." The man answered, proudly lifting his head up.

Chester studied the man critically. "No, you're not. You look nothing like me." The man was tall and muscular with long blond hair and tanned skin with no wrinkles under his eyes. His clothes had the same color scheme as Chester's attire but the patterns were different.

"Well, not literally you of course. I am the optimal version of you, the person you would like to be. I'm your super ego." The man explained.

Chester tilted his head to the side a bit, frowning. "Like Brad Pitt in that movie?"

"Sure, if it will help you accept this weird situation faster. I can see that you have a hard time wrapping your head around all of this." The Super Ego exclaimed with a nonchalant shrug. "Come walk with me." He started walking and Chester trailed after, although still being rather confused over this entire situation. As they walked Chester noticed how warm everything got. There was no snow on the ground and the air was warm as the summer. "You know Chester, it's nice to finally meet someone. An ego that is never called upon is a lonely thing but it isn't like I haven't been occupied."

"Occupied? With what?" Chester asked.

"Helping you." The Ego replied. "I have subconsciously been nudging you in the right direction. Helping you from falling apart. If it wasn't for me, Kid Rot would have broken you a long time ago."

"WHAT! KID ROT _HAS_ BROKEN ME! I CAN BAERLY EVEN FIND A REASON TO STAY ALIVE!" Chester shouted angrily. "If you are supposed to help me you haven't exactly done much good."

The Ego stopped and turned to Chester. He arched one of his eyebrows. "For someone that has been thru so much I would say you are holding up pretty well and you wouldn't if I wasn't here, reminding you of all your qualities."

Chester remained puzzled. "The only one that has ever done that is Abby and I have never understood what she sees in me."

"Ah, Abby. What a woman." The Ego sighed happily, almost like he was in love with Abby. He probably was, he was still Chester after all. "She sees the things in yourself that you have always known but always decided to ignore for convenience sake."

Chester was taken aback by this. "Now I don't know what you are talking about. I would love to believe I am all those things Abby says I am, then I wouldn't feel like shit, but I don't. So you are either lying to me or somehow you have managed to get me completely wrong, which would be pretty pathetic considering you claim to be a part of me." He accused the Ego, pointing at his face.

"Last time you confronted Kid Rot you told him you liked yourself." His ego reminded him.

Chester vented a depressed sigh. "I thought-I thought I could ignore all of my insecurities but … I couldn't."

The Ego gave a lopsided smile. "Then maybe it's time to confront them instead. Follow me."

The two continued walking. The ego's long legs made it a bit hard for the hurting Chester to keep up so the boy sped-up his pace. They past a growth of trees and once they were thru the scenery changed.

Chester remembered this place very vividly. It was the old school lab in Greenbottle and there was Chester, working on the anti-rot formula. The Chester of the past had a bitter frown on his face yet he tenaciously worked. He repeatingly checked his notebook before mixing the chemicals.

"You worked on the anti-rot formula for over a year Chester." The Ego spoke. "Delved in bio-chemistry so advanced most scientists wouldn't even have conceived of it. Yeah, you failed but you came far. If you truly believed yourself to be as weak as you claim you are, you would never have even tried it, even less have continued for so long. Keep going against such unbelievable odds takes incredible strength Chester."

Chester lowered his head. "I am not very strong. True, I am smart but the rot-formula was something I worked on because I was desperate."

"And what about now? For the last couple weeks you have made up for over a year of schoolwork just to get into a good university. Was that desperation or was it because somewhere deep inside you, you know that you deserve better." Chester didn't say anything, all he did was look up at his Ego. "You're a scientist Chester." The Ego continued. "Not professionally of course but in mind &amp; soul. You want to explore, solve problems and you value the truth more than anything else…well almost everything else, eh lover-boy," He gave Chester a friendly punch in the arm, "but you are still a human and like all humans you decide to look away from certain facts that don't fit your narrative."

"And what fact is that?" Chester asked.

"That bad things happens to good people." He replied in a sight and Chester's shoulders sunk. "_You_ think that just because no one used to like you there is something wrong with you. That good people get loved and bad people get hated. That's how you think the world should work, that's a reality that's easy to understand but really, you know that the world is more complicated than that."

Chester turned his gaze to the floor, nervously scratched his hand a bit. "So what? You want me to blame all my problems on everyone else?"

"I think you know the answer to that already." The Super Ego stated. "Your loneliness depended on different factors. You were just naturally less talented at communicating with people and you were surrounded by people that didn't understand you cause were too different. _Different _not worst."

Chester was quiet for a while. He didn't look at the Ego and the Ego allowed him to dwell in his silence. "My problems from Greenbotle is one thing but what about Kid Rot. If it wasn't for my creation, dozens of dead should still be alive. How can I live with myself when so many have-have," Chester broke down, crying. He stopped sobbing once the Ego placed a large yet gentle hand on his shoulder. "Anyone can make a mistake Chester. Plenty of people thru out history has made horrible mistakes that has taken plenty of lives and they have still lived with it. You will be okay."

"But it still hurts." Chester sobbed.

The Ego nodded. "Yeah and it will hurt for a long while but pain doesn't have to be detrimental, it can grow into something better. It can turn into wisdom, motivation, even compassion but it's all up to you to decide what to do with it."

Surprisingly, Chester hugged the Ego and cried onto his chest. After being a bit perplexed by Chester's actions, the Ego hugged Chester back. _"It will be okay you know." _He whispered.

"Ego…can I-can I ask you something?" Chester asked in-between the cries.

"Sure."

"Why does the perfect version of myself still wear fingerless gloves?"

Ego pulled away from Chester. Chester was smiling, crying but smiling. Ego fainted a frown so serious it was humorous. "Because chicks dig fingerless gloves, that's a fact."

Then the two laughed and Chester scrubbed the last tears out of his eyes. Suddenly there was a sound. It was laud, growling and sort of metallic. It startled the two. "What was that?"

The ego smirked. "Your wakeup call."

* * *

When Chester woke up he saw the light shining in as the steel door rose up. The light revealed his cell covered in frost and dead vines littered the floor. He could see the silhouette of a person in the doorway and once his eyes got used to the light, he was glad it was a friend.

"Oh no, Chester!" LabRat exclaimed worried and ran to his side. "Chester are you okay? You must be frozen to the bones."

Chester smiled. "Cold yes but I'm fine." He tried to stand up and LabRat helped him. Chester pressed his hand against the frozen wall for more support and…

_*RIPP* _

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" Chester screamed in pain and had slipped on the icy floor if it hadn't been for LabRat holding onto him. Chester clutched his hand and once the pain settled he saw that his fingers were bleeding. He looked at the wall and it was bleeding to and it had bits of skin stuck to the frost. The skin on his fingertips had been ripped off when he took his hand off the wall.

LabRat looked at Chester's injury. "That's nasty dude. Come on, let's get you warm and I can take a look at those fingers." The scientist led Chester out of the cell and thru the prison corridors.

Chester heard Kid Rot whisper inside his head. _"LabRat will betray you. He and everyone else will kill you just to get rid of you."_

"_Kid, if that is what you think of LabRat than you haven't been paying attention." _Chester whispered back to the parasite. "LabRat, Kid Rot is back. When my body gets warm…"

"Its okay, I've developed a new sedative. It should keep that parasite in check for a while." LabRat said.

* * *

Chester squeezed his hand a bit. It didn't hurt anymore. LabRat had wrapped his fingers in band aids and given him some warm green tee. He looked down at the steaming cup, wrapped both hand around it and took a sip. Hermes was also on the table, restlessly waiting for LabRat to return. They were still at Splatticus, in some sort of private restroom. Hermes walked up to Chester and sniffed the air a bit. Puzzled, Chester smelled his jacket. "Yeah I guess I stink. Of course, you're a rat _and_ a Grossologist so maybe what stinks for some people you think smells good?" Hermes turned his side to Chester and allowed the blond boy to pet him.

LabRat walked into the room, carrying two take-away boxes. "I hope you like Chinese food."

"Um…sure but isn't it a bit early for that?"

"I've been too busy for breakfast. Of course I could whip up something else for you if you don't mind waiting."

"No, thanks. It's good like this." Chester replied.

LabRat placed one of the boxes in front of Chester and unpacked the food and shop-sticks before sitting down himself. He then took out a few spring rolls and placed them on the table. "Here you go buddy." He said to Hermes who immediately started chewing on one of them. LabRat then turned his attention to Chester.

Chester tried his best with the chopsticks but it wasn't easy with stiff fingers. After several failed attempts he managed to pinch a rice ball in-between his sticks and carefully tried to pass it to his mouth but if fell from his grip and the rice ball fell in his lap. "Ouch, ouch." The rice was scolding hot. LabRat sighed before getting up and fetched a knife and a fork from a drawer. Chester meanwhile used a napkin to clean his pants. "Sorry, I'm so clumsy."

LabRat handed him the knife &amp; fork. "Hey, anyone would be clumsy after freezing the entire night and losing the skin on the fingers." He exclaimed with a half humorous/half apologetic smile. The two boys continued eating without any more misshapes. Hermes had bitten off the top of one the spring rolls and stuck his entire little head inside, munching on boiled vegetables and raw fish. "Chester…" LabRat started. "I'm afraid it was my fault that you got stuck in the freezer for so long. Sorry."

Chester tilted his head to the side. "What'd you mean?"

"Well, the guards had seen what happened in your cell but they didn't know what to do so they called me. I told them to wait a while to make sure Kid Rot didn't recuperate the moment you were taken out of your cell." He scowled a bit. "Apparently they thought that meant to leave you unconscious for the rest of the night in freezing temperatures."

"Meh, its okay, mishaps happens," Chester nodded to his crotch, "obviously." They both giggled a bit. Chester suddenly remembered something. "Sarah Senia! She attacked me last night. What happened to her, did she escape?"

LabRat smiled amused. "No, she didn't escape."

Chester raised an eyebrow. "So the guards captured her."

"Nope." LabRat chook his head.

"So what? The Grossologists did." Chester guessed.

"Nope."

"So, what happened?" Chester asked puzzled.

"Sloppy Joe caught her. Well, assaulted her mostly." LabRat answered but it just made Chester even more confused.

"Sloppy Joe? That big green guy?"

"He's actually not green. He is covered in…well, I'm not even sure anymore." LabRat said and open up his laptop. "The security camera got it all on tap if you want to watch. I think you will find it pretty funny." After finding the video among his saved files, LabRat handed the laptop over to Chester. Chester leaned in a bit to see better. The footage was taken from above and a tad from the side.

Sarah Senia was growling with bare teeth, furious that she had been denied her kill. She started pounding at Chester's cellwall with her long green tentacles when suddenly, Sloppy Joe ran hollering onto scene.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

He rammed right into the green skinned woman, forcing her into the nearest cement wall. "You moron! What are you doing?" Sarah Senia barked.

Sloppy Joe roared and started smashing Senia's head into the wall. "I," *BOOM* "can't," *BOOM* "miss," *BOOM* "TV," *BOOM* "time! I have to watch the Powerpuff Girls!" He threw Senia over the floor but was quickly over her again. Sarah Senia tried to hold him off with her tentacles but he was too strong. "Blossum, Bubbles, Buttercup!" He shouted like some kind of battle cry and started punching Senia's head in. Her tendrils lost their grip of Sloppy Joe as she lost consciousness.

Then a squad of guards ran onto the scene. They surrounded Sloppy Joe and aimed electrified rods at him. "Let go of the vegetable woman Sloppy." One of them ordered.

Sloppy Joe held up his hands in surrender. "It's okay. I just wanted to protect the boy. Can I still watch TV?"

Chester couldn't hold it in anymore. He burst out laughing. It was such a ridiculous situation one couldn't help but laugh. His life spared because of one dimwitted man's immature needs to watch cartoons. LabRat smiled at seeing his friend at such good humor.

"Oh, man." Chester sighed once he finished laughing. "That is ludicrous."

"Yeah, I know." LabRat said and took back his laptop. "Villains, when they are not trying to torture you to death, they save you and watch cartoons."

"I have to confess LabRat, I am a bit jealous of you." Chester stated.

LabRat blinked puzzled. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you're smarter than me, first of all." Chester admitted.

LabRat smirked a bit. "True."

"But also, you seem happy despite your fear of the outdoors. You have a weird lifestyle but you make it work and you have friends that likes and relies on you and you have a job where you get to help people." Chester continued. "That is something I have always dreamt of."

LabRat's smirk faded. While he was flattered for all this praise he couldn't help but wonder why Chester was being so sentimental. Granted, the two had developed something of a friendship as of late but this was still felt a bit heavy. _'Is this his way of thanking me? He's grateful cause he thinks I will be able to cure him.' _LabRat suddenly felt sick. He sunk forward a bit, crossing his arms on the table. "Chester, I did not just bring you here for breakfast. I-I have bad news."

"Oh." Chester got apprehensive.

"Well, to be accurate, I have good news and bad news. What would you want to hear first?"

"Um…the good news, I guess." Chester replied.

"Well, I checked somethings on the internet and I found that you have inherited a lot of money from your grandpa, Thomas. Actually he left pretty much everything he owed to you." LabRat explained.

"Even the house?" Chester asked surprised.

"Eh, no. He sold the house." LabRat's answer surprised Chester. His grandpa had always been so attached to that old house. Sometimes Chester had felt like he cared more for that building than for him.

"I guess that means I am one step closer to getting my own apartment, or well, it would be hadn't Kid Rot caused so much damage." Chester reasoned.

"Don't worry about that. We have decided to have the state pay for all the damage caused by Kid Rot. We shouldn't have expected a minor to pay for all that collateral damage. It was…unrealistic." LabRat said.

"Really?" Chester exclaimed surprised but secretly he was relieved. For some reason, that economic debt had always laid heavily on his conscious. He smiled a bit but it was a short-lived one. "So if that is the good news then what is the bad news?"

"Chester…" LabRat tilted his head down and cleared his throat for a moment before looking up at Chester again. He tried his best to put up a frozen façade. "Chester, Sylvia and I have worked all night. We have double checked all options, studied yours &amp; Kid Rot's chaired biology and, well…We have no way to cure you."

Chester suddenly felt all his hope come crashing down.

* * *

A few hours later, Chester and LabRat met up with Sylvia, The Detective, The Director and the Archer siblings in a private office to discuss what to do. Chester has surprised Abby when the first arrived by hugging her and giving her a peck on the cheek. Abby had thought (and feared) that Chester would still be very distant but apparently not.

While LabRat and Sylvia presented what they had discovered from their research, the rest sat down and listened. Sylvia displayed an x-ray picture of Chester brain. She tapped a rod at a strange bulge on the picture. "This tumor on Chester's brainstem seems to be Kid Rot's main breeding ground. I call it his _Fortress of Rotitude._" Sylvia laughed at her joke but it was obvious by everyone's faces that no one else found it funny. Slightly embarrassed, she cleared her throat. "It is also what allows the parasite to override Chester's control over the body."

"Well there we have it," The Director exclaimed happily, "have that lump removed from Chester and Kid Rot is no more."

"If this had been discovered at its infancy then yes but at this point the Kid Rot bacteria has been spread thru out Chester's cellular structure. If we remove the tumor it would just form another one." Sylvia explained.

"Why can't you just keep using them chemicals um…anti-dotes?" The Detective asked. The lawman felt a bit out of place in all of this. His most scientifically gifted coworkers where forensic investigators and they never dabbled in something this advanced.

LabRat sighed. "Kid Rot isn't just a bacteria, he is a large collective of bacteria and he multiply incredible fast."

"Meaning he also develops immunity to chemicals very quickly." Ty concluded.

"Yeah, and disregarding how hard it is to develop new drugs, continue giving Chester these anti-dotes is really only helping Kid Rot." LabRat added.

"So is there anything we can do?" The Director asked.

Something changed in Sylvia's demeanor. It was subtle, hard to describe but she seemed sadder, colder. "Well, there is one thing." She looked to LabRat. In response, LabRat looked away from her like a shamed dog. He did not want to be a part of this. Sylvia turned her attention to the others. "We could treat Chester the way some cancer patients are treated. With radiotherapy."

"You mean radiation?" Chester asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes." Sylvia nodded. "Since Kid Rot is a fast reproductive bacteria it is highly sensitive to radiation. I had always hypothesized that Kid Rot's weakness was radioactive radiation and my experiments last night proved it." Sylvia seemed pretty proud for a moment but her confident smile soon faded. "However since Kid Rot is much more infectious and resilient than a normal cancer virus it would require much higher doses of radiation. The risk of killing him in the process is extremely high."

"How high?" Abby asked.

"85, maybe 90%" Sylvia replied.

"That is unacceptable!" Abby immediately exclaimed. "There must be some other way."

The room fell silent for a moment. Once someone spoke, it was surprisingly Chester. "How high is the possibility of success?"

Abby looked at Chester, eyes wide in disbelief. _'He is really doing it. He is trying to find a way to kill himself.'_

"With radiotherapy? Around 80%." Sylvia replied.

Chester looked down, fiddled a bit with the band aids on his fingers. "Well, if that is the only way-

Abby had had enough. She pushed herself of the chair and smacked her hands on the table. "CAN I HAVE A MOMENT ALONE WITH CHESTER!?"

Everyone stared at her, all with the same blend of bewilderment and worry. "Yes, you can. We could all need a break." Sylvia finally decided and everyone started heading for the door.

"You sure that's safe?" The Director squeaked worried.

"Yeah, it will be fine. I'll be right behind the door in case anything happens." The Detective reassured and lightly pushed The Director thru the door.

LabRat was the last thru the door. He stopped to look at the two people remaining. Chester sat shriveled up on his chair. Abby was as stiff as a statue with eyes as cold as ice. LabRat sighed depressed before closing the door.

The couple was all alone now. "Abby?" Chester said softly.

It took a moment before Abby said anything and when she did, she didn't look at him. "Don't you think I don't know what you are trying to do?" She slowly turned to him. Her lips where bent into an angry scowl but her eyes seemed to brim with sadness. It pained Chester to see her like this. "You are trying to kill yourself."

Chester shook his head and carefully stood up. "No Abby, I'm not. It's just tha-

"SHUT UP!" Abby snapped at him. Chester was startled but Abby didn't care. She was gonna have her say and nothing was going to stop her. "I haven't been able to sleep Chester. Ever since yesterday when you said you wanted to die I have been worried sick, something I didn't even know was a real thing! All of this 'doing what's right'-shit is just an excuse for you to die while looking noble in the process but guess what, there is nothing noble about dying."

Abby's fists where clenched, her brows furrowed and her limps scowled but Chester knew she wasn't angry, not really. She was hurt and worried. "It's not like that at all Abby." He said softly. "Dying is the last thing I want. I want to finish high school, have a career in science and most of all I wanna be with you. Honestly, despite everything I am happier now than I been in a long time."

"Oh, so yesterday you were suicidal but now you are Mr. Happy all of a sudden." Abby spat sarcastically with her arms crossed over her chest.

"No." Chester gathered enough confidence to rise onto his feet. "I-I have been thinking lately. I don't really know what Kid Rot is, if he is some dark part of me or if he is some kind of split personality or if he is actually some sort of sentient microorganism but the one thing I know about him is that I can't control him which means he is responsible for his own actions," Abby's angry expression melted into one of surprise, "but that also means I have to be responsible for my own actions." Chester smiled sadly. "Creating Kid Rot was a mistake and anyone can make a mistake, it doesn't make me a bad person," His smile faded, "but it was my mistake." Chester walked closer up to Abby. He took one of her hands, squeezed it lightly. "Abby, I can't let others pay for my mistakes, especially not the people I care about."

Abby couldn't take it anymore. She broke down, crying. "I don't wanna lose you." Chester wrapped his arms around her, gently pressing her head against his chest.

"I know, I know but everything will be okay…eventually" Chester soothed.

* * *

The Director, Ty and LabRat observed the hugging couple thru a window.

The Director stirred his cup of coffee. "I don't want dead teenagers on my watch LabRat." He took a sip of his coffee. He turned to Ty and LabRat with one hand stuck in his pocket. "I'll give you three days to find an alternative way to fix Chester. If you don't we'll go ahead with the radiation treatment."

"We understand, sir." Ty said with a smile nod.

The Director's cellphone started ringing. "Excuse me, I need to take this." He picked up his phone and started walking away. "Oh, hey Clarence. How are you…"

Ty and LabRat kept watching Abby and Chester. The embracing couple seemed completely motionless. The only thing moving was Abby's tears. "I failed, didn't I?" LabRat finally spoke.

"Huh?"

"Chester, Abby, the team. I failed everyone." LabRat said in a sad tone. "I can build ridiculous gadgets like nobody's business but when it actually comes to what actually matters, saving lives, I couldn't do a damn thing." He lowered his head, depressed.

"Hey, now you are being stupid LabRat. You haven't failed anyone." Ty reassured him. "If it wasn't for you, none of us would be able to help anybody and Chester…Chester is still alive and where there is life, there is hope."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

**Yeah, I finally managed to finish another chapter to this story. Hopefully it was worth the wait. Man, this was a heavy one. I know that having these dream sequences is kind of a cheap way to bring about character development but remember that I am not a professional writer, I'm just some random guy on the internet wanting to tell a story. Plus, I think it fits in this kind of story. I also want to mention that I only did a very basic research on radiotherapy and I am pretty certain that if any cancer doctor or medicine student reads this they will be able to call bullshit on the way I describe it here but once again, I am not a doctor, I am just some random guy on the internet wanting to tell a story.**

**So what did you guys think of this latest chapter? Please tell me by leave a review for this chapter. **


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